The Epigraphic Survey, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, based at Chicago House in Luxor, Egypt, is directed by Dr. W. Raymond Johnson, Research Associate Professor of the University of Chicago and the Oriental Institute. The mission of the Survey since 1924, in partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, includes the facsimile documentation of reliefs and hieroglyphic inscriptions on ancient Egyptian monuments through photography and precise recording techniques (line drawings, digital imaging, etc.), as well as appropriate conservation and restoration work, in an effort to preserve the cultural heritage of Pharaonic civilization.
The Oriental Institute was founded in 1919 by James Henry Breasted and was originally envisaged as a research laboratory for the investigation of the early human career that would trace humankind’s progress from the most ancient days of the Middle East. The goal of the Oriental Institute is to be the world’s leading center for the study of ancient Near Eastern civilizations by combining innovation in theory, methodology, and significant empirical discovery with the highest standards of scholarship.