About the collection
The small collection of Ancient Near Eastern monuments not only enables the study of different languages and text genres, but also the observation of the different forms and materials of Ancient Near Eastern writing media. In addition, vessels, terracottas, scroll and stamp seals as well as coins provide insights into the world of everyday life and religion in the Ancient Near East between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.
Hanover has a special relationship with Ancient Oriental Studies. The linguist and antiquities researcher Georg Friedrich Grotefend (1775-1853), who was the first to begin deciphering the cuneiform script, lived in Hanover. His grave is located in the historic Garden Cemetery. This reference is the reason why the August Kestner Museum has a small collection of ancient oriental monuments. (AVS)