NYU Institute for the Study of the Ancient World
Museums, Historical Sites, and ZoosNew York, United States51-200 Employees
The NYU Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) is a research and graduate education center within New York University focused on the study of ancient civilizations and their interconnections across the Mediterranean region to Central Asia and the Pacific. It emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach, integrating fields such as anthropology, archaeology, history, economics, art history, and the history of science and technology to advance scholarly understanding of economic, religious, political, and cultural links among ancient peoples. ISAW operates as a distinct institutional entity with its own endowment and governance, and it seeks to broaden public engagement through exhibitions, public lectures, publications, and digital resources that reflect its cross-disciplinary mission. Based in New York City, ISAW offers doctoral and postdoctoral programs intended to train researchers who will contribute to the global academic community. The institute traces its origins to the interests of Shelby White and Leon Levy in ancient art and history and positions itself as a center for both advanced scholarship and a public-facing program of scholarly activity.