Heads up on The Oriental Institute in Chicago, a magical museum.

[scubadude]

I recently made a trip to the Oriental Institute in Chicago. It has a fabulous collection of artifacts dating from the dawn of mankind's invention of mathematics and written language. Of course most of the objects were collected in the near east. The last exhibit as you wind your way through the museum is of the destruction that we are responsible for in Iraq. Sandbags made for US fortifications literally filled with the historical remains of ancient archaeological sites. The disgusting results of an unjust war waged on the birthplace the means by which Newton and all of us stand on the shoulders of giants.

There is no doubt that Arab scholars were way ahead of their European counterparts early on. I once held in my hands an Arabian astronomical instrument marked out in Latitude and Longitude. It was made centuries before Europeans discovered the earth was round...

If you ever have a chance to go visit you must. It's an afternoon's visit into the history of knowledge.

http://oi.uchicago.edu/

Scuba

[leftyclimber]

1. I went there in 1990.

My cousin was in grad school at Chicago and hauled me over there as part of the grand tour of the city. It was tremendous, especially the big Sumerian lion-angel-things (I used to know what they were called. I totally forget now.)

I second the recommendation.

[enlightenment]

2. These?

They're Assyrian. The Lammasu.

Pretty cool, for sure, as is the Oriental Institute!

[leftyclimber]

3. Wow. I was WAY off.

Guess that means I need to get back there! ;)

[scubadude]

4. You don't get the feeling of scale from those pics.

I would guess the statues are about 15 or so feet tall. They are quite amazing but they aren't the only ones. There is also an ancient Egyptian Stella, plenty of mummies and a giant Persian Bull statue, not to mention thousands of smaller items.

It is a great "one day" museum.

Best,
Scuba