REPORT ON THE SECTION OF ORIENTAL ANTIQUITIES IN THE U. S. 

 NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. 



By Cyrus Adlise, Assistant Curator. 



The Section of Oriential Antiquities of the U. S. Natioaal Museum 

 was formally organized on February 2, 1888, by the appointment of 

 Paul Haupt, Ph. D., professor of the Semitic languages in the Johns 

 Hopkins University as honorary curator, and of Cyrus Adler, Ph. D,, 

 instructor in Semitic languages at the same University, honorary assist- 

 ant curator. 



The steps which led to the organization of this section were taken 

 almost a year previous. In March, 1887, a letter was addressed to the 

 late Prof. Spencer F. Baird, calling attention to the importance of Ori- 

 ental archaeology, and more especially Assyriology, and recommending 

 that the National Museum add this to its numerous departments of 

 study and research. The illness and subsequent death of Professor 

 Baird delayed official action in the matter, but the work was tentatively 

 inaugurated at the beginning of the fiscal year. 



In July, 1887, a portion of a collection of Assyrian and Babylonian 

 seals gathered by the late Eev. William Frederick Williams, an Ameri- 

 can missionary at Mosul, Avas placed at the disposal of the Museum for 

 copying purposes, by the present ov^uers, Mr. R. S. Williams, of Utica, 

 Dr. Gr. H. Williams, of Baltimore, Mr. Talcott Williams, of Philadel- 

 phia, Miss C. D. Williams, Mr. P. V. Rogers, and Dr. A. G. Bower. 



The Museum modelers were so successful in producing fac-similes 

 and flat impressions of these objects that the following announcement 

 was made at the fall meeting of the American Oriental Society, held 

 at Baltimore in October, 1887 : 



The National Museum at Washington has undertaken the formation of a study- 

 collection of casts of Assyrian and Babylonian antiquities in association with the 

 Johns Hopkins University of Baltimore. The Museum stands ready to make fac- 

 similes and casts of Assyrian and Babylonian antiquities. An attempt is beiug made 

 to first obtain copies of Assyrian antiquities preserved in this country. The Johus 

 Hopkins University will attend to the proper arrangement and catiiloguiug of the 



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