NEW YORK.-The Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) will present Wine, Worship, and Sacrifice: The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani. Wine, Worship, and Sacrifice: The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani features spectacular finds from four graves in Vani, a major religious and administrative center of ancient Colchis (present-day Republic of Georgia) and the setting for the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece. The exhibition, which is drawn from the collection of the Georgian National Museum, includes more than 130 objects from the graves, dating from the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. Together, these and other items reveal a fascinating tradition of cultural individuality and exchange, and help illuminate the complex interrelations among ancient cultures.

The Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, at New York University, was established in 2006 with funds from the Leon Levy Foundation. A center for advanced scholarly research and graduate education, ISAW is intended to cultivate comparative and connective investigations of the ancient world. In addition to its doctoral and postdoctoral programs, ISAW will engage the larger scholarly community and the public with an ongoing program of exhibitions, lectures, and publications. Shelby White is the Founder of ISAW and Chairman of the Board.