OI Centennial programming kicks off with a free public celebration on Saturday, September 28, from 1 p.m.–5 p.m. at the OI Museum (1155 E. 58th Street). OI faculty, curators, and other specialists will be in the galleries to talk with visitors about artifacts and displays related to the origins of writing and early writing systems of Mesopotamia and Anatolia, monumental architecture from the great palaces and audience halls of ancient Assyria and Persia, texts and magic in ancient Egypt, and the OI’s century of excavations and research projects that aim to understand, reveal, and protect the earliest civilizations. Family activities will also be available. In addition to the public unveiling of the gallery-wide renovations, a special Centennial exhibition will also be on display.