Mesopotamia | Level 2B

Opens June 22

North American Premiere

More than 170 priceless objects from the eminent collections of the British Museum provide the lens through which we explore over 3,000 years of accomplishments in the area, and discover the relevance many still have on our daily lives today.

Urban civilization originated here, accompanied by the establishment of the first cities and complex forms of social organization and economic activity. Trace the benchmarks of Mesopotamia's social and technological developments and the emergence of city-states in ancient Sumer (4000 – 2000 BCE); the dominance of the Assyrian World Empire (1000 – 600 BCE); and the dramatic rise and fall of Babylon (600 – 540 BCE).

Objects including impressive wall reliefs, dramatic stone sculpture, and stunning jewellery shed light on the society's sophistication. Mesopotamia showcases a collection of priceless objects from the British Museum, most never before seen in Canada. These are augmented by objects from the ROM's own renowned collections and other leading institutions, including the University of Chicago Oriental Institute Museum, the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Penn Museum, Philadelphia), and the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Geographically, Mesopotamia encompasses present-day Iraq, north-east Syria, and south-east Turkey. Learn about the rediscovery of Mesopotamia by the West through excavations in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the catastrophic impact on Iraq's cultural heritage following the 2003 looting of Baghdad's Iraq Museum, and the destruction of numerous archaeological sites.

Mesopotamia is presented by the British Museum in collaboration with the Royal Ontario Museum.

EXHIBIT PATRON:

ROM Young Patrons' Circle