The Archaeological Museum offers several types of exhibitions that invite visitors to engage with ancient material culture both at the museum and online. Together, these exhibitions reflect the museum’s dual mission as a public-facing institution and a teaching and research space shaped by students, faculty, and staff.

Permanent Exhibition

Our permanent exhibition presents a broad introduction to the museum’s collections, featuring hundreds of objects from across the ancient Mediterranean, Near East, and beyond. Organized by both region and theme, the displays encourage visitors to compare practices, beliefs, and technologies across cultures and time periods. While best experienced in person, the permanent exhibition is also available online.

Special Exhibitions

Special exhibitions are temporary, focused projects that highlight new research questions, creative interpretations, or close study of specific objects or themes. These exhibitions rotate periodically and are typically presented in exhibit drawers within the museum. Many are developed through JHU courses or collaborative projects involving students, faculty, and museum staff, giving undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to curate exhibitions as part of their academic work. Most are also accompanied by online components that extend their reach beyond the museum.

Online Exhibitions

Online exhibitions make the museum’s work accessible to virtual audiences and serve as a space for digital experimentation and storytelling. Some are designed exclusively for the web, while others preserve and share past special exhibitions that are no longer on view. These projects showcase the research, interpretation, and curatorial voices of students, faculty, and museum staff, allowing audiences anywhere to engage with the collection and the ideas it inspires.