Fostering scholarship and research that leads to an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural understanding and appreciation of civilizations in the ancient world.
Featured Grant: The New Vani Archaeological Museum
Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW)
ISAW at New York University is a center for advanced scholarly research and graduate education, which aims to encourage the study of the economic, religious, political and cultural connections between ancient civilizations. ISAW offers doctoral and postdoctoral programs, exhibitions, and other public programs. Its creation is rooted in the passion that Shelby White and Leon Levy had for ancient art and history, which led them to envision an Institute that would offer an unshuttered view of antiquities across vast stretches of time and place.
The Shelby White and Leon Levy Lod Mosaic Archeological Center
Shelby White and Leon Levy supported the excavation and conservation of this extraordinary archaeological find, dated to A.D. 300, discovered in Lod, Israel in 1996. After touring special destinations around the world, the mosaic is back on its original site and will be housed in The Shelby White and Leon Levy Lod Mosaic Archaeology Center. The establishment of the modern, state of the art center is made possible through a longstanding collaboration of Shelby White, the Leon Levy Foundation, and the municipality of Lod the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Vani Archaeological Museum
The Leon Levy Foundation provided support for the renovation of the new Vani Archaeological Museum, part of the Georgian National Museum. Built as the first archaeological museum in Georgia, the new venue has been equipped with modern amenities and will operate as a significant cultural and educational hub that will house exhibitions and host scientific conferences and educational events.
Harvard University
White Levy Program for Archaeological Publications
The White Levy Program supports research on terminated, unpublished archaeological field work from significant sites in the Aegean, Anatolia, Balkans, Egypt, Iranian Plateau, Levant, Mesopotamia, Nubia, and Sudan. Since its inception in 1997, over $13 million in grants have been awarded.
National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel
Opened in 2016 and designed by Moshe Safdie, the National Campus, including the Leon Levy and Shelby White Center for State Treasures, brings together nearly two million archaeological objects that collectively represent the cultural heritage of Israel.