Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures

The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, West Asia and North Africa (ISAC), formerly known as the Oriental Institute (OI), is a research institute and museum of the University of Chicago, located in Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois, United States. Established in May 1919, the institute was founded by Egyptologist and professor James Henry Breasted with funds donated by John D. Rockefeller Jr.