Excavated. Accumulated. Exhibited.

Introductory Texts:

"Launching a Research Project"

From the early 1880s onwards, the Bible scholar John Peters promoted archaeological excavations in Mesopotamia among educated and wealthy circles in the United States.

After gaining the support of the influential banker Edward Clark as a fellow campaigner and patron in the summer of 1887, he quickly found additional sponsors with Clark’s help.

With the prospect of financing an excavation campaign through private funds, Peters and Clark were also able to win over the Provost of the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and several academics to support the project.

"Diplomatic negotiations"

In the summer of 1888, Peters travelled to Constantinople on behalf of the University of Pennsylvania. There, he intended to negotiate with officials of the Ottoman Empire for a permit to excavate at Nippur. At that time, Nippur was located in an Ottoman province.

The negotiations lasted for three months. Eventually, the following agreement was reached:

All artefacts recovered from Nippur were to be examined in Constantinople by Ottoman experts. They would decide which objects should remain in the country based on their significance. The Americans would then be allowed to purchase the remaining antiquities.

"Journey to Nippur"

At the end of 1888, the research team set out for Nippur. The journey took two months. While Peters travelled part of the route on the Orient Express, other members of the expedition travelled by ship via Marseille, Smyrna, and Alexandretta (İskenderun, Turkey).

Heat, disease, and robberies made the journey a risky undertaking. Conflicts among the researchers also shaped the expedition.

The final part of the route was completed by caravan. Around 60 horses and mules transported people and equipment through largely inhospitable landscapes all the way to Nippur.

Object Labels:

"John Peters to Edward Clark" (29 October 1888)

During the protracted negotiations in Constantinople, John Peters learned that the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Abdul Hamid II, was interested in acquiring his own phonograph (audio recorder).

Peters informed Clark and suggested presenting the Sultan with such a device – a new invention by Thomas Edison. Peters hoped this gesture would strengthen his negotiating position.

Edison would have been willing to provide the Sultan with a copy of his favourite invention. However, the US ambassador in Constantinople advised against it.

"The Babylonian Exploration Fund"

To finance the Nippur expeditions, scholars and local elites founded the Babylonian Exploration Fund (BEF).

In March 1888, the BEF defined responsibilities, the budget, and salaries.

According to this report, the costs for the first year of the expedition were limited to $13,000. Even before the end of the first campaign, the estimated sum was increased to $18,000 (around $700,000 today).

"Advertising Poster for Norddeutscher Lloyd Bremen" (1892)

The Penn research team crossed the Atlantic aboard a ship operated by to the Hapag-Lloyd shipping line.

About this translation:
This English version was created by students as part of the project. As a small-scale initiative, the translations were produced in-house and have not undergone professional language editing. We appreciate your understanding.