Cynthia Rufo is archiving more than a century of archaeological records and photos. Photo by Vernon Doucette

Good news for the Indiana Jones set: since 1900, the American Schools of Oriental Research has played a pivotal role in archaeological discoveries. Now the BU-headquartered nonprofit, which is dedicated to the archaeology of the Near East, is opening its archive to the public for the first time. Included in its collections are diaries of archaeologists; rare photos of various excavations, including Qumran in the West Bank, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered; and miscellanea, like a reproduction of an 1873 sultan’s permit for a dig in Palestine.

The American Schools of Oriental Research archive is open to the public, by appointment, at its headquarters, 656 Beacon St., Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Access is free. Those interested should contact archivist Cynthia Rufo at 617-358-4428 or at asorarch@bu.edu. A description of the collections can be found here.

BU was part of the organization’s founding consortium of universities and research societies in 1900. Its headquarters is next door to newer literature at Barnes & Noble at Boston University. The group has three affiliated centers, in Jerusalem, Jordan, and Cypress.

Rich Barlow can be reached at barlowr@bu.edu.