Antiquity and America

The Ancient Mediterranean in the United States

The United States of Antiquity Sean P. Burrus
The ancient world of the Mediterranean has loomed large in the American imagination for centuries, profoundly shaping the arts, politics, and national identity of the United States.

Art & Artifacts
Antiquity & America showcases highlights of the BCMA’s collection of Mediterranean antiquities with works of art from Europe and America.Explore objects from the exhibition here.
Collectors
The Bowdoin College Museum of Art’s collection of antiquities and art related to the ancient Mediterranean has been grown through the generosity of generations of individuals who shared a passion for the ancient past. Explore some of their stories and collections here.
Perspectives
Authors from across the disciplines at Bowdoin and beyond share their perspectives on the enduring impact of the ancient Mediterranean in American culture.
Timeline
Antiquity & America explores three centuries of the ancient Mediterranean in American culture. In this timeline, the impact of antiquity on Bowdoin’s campus and at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art is traced across the years.

Virtual Models

The Walker Building
Completed in 1894, the Walker Art Building was one of the first art museum buildings on an American college campus.
Ariadne
In 1805, James Bowdoin III offered Thomas Jefferson the gift of a marble copy of an antique sculpture of Ariadne. Bowdoin’s gift to Jefferson remains on view at Monticello today.