From 1913 to 1932, the Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition conducted a series of pioneering expeditions in northern Sudan under the direction of archeologist George A. Reisner. As a result of these excavations over a 20-year period, and through the generosity of the Sudanese government, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, possesses the largest and most important collection of Nubian art outside of Khartoum. The collection spans four millennia, from about 3800 BC to AD 350, and includes masterpieces in different media, from colossal statues in stone to gold and silver vessels and exquisite jewelry.