This book investigates why nations with rich archaeological pasts like Egypt, Greece, and Jordan gave important antiquitiesoften unique, rare, and highly valued monumentsto New York City, New York Institutions, and the United States from 1879 to 1965. In addition to analyzing the givers' motivations, the author examines why New Yorkers and Americans coveted such objects. The book argues that these gifted antiquities function as archaeological ambassadors and that the objects given were instruments of cultural diplomacy. These gifts sought to advance the goals of Egypt, Greece, and Jordanall states that had rich cultural and archaeological heritageswith the United States, once an ascendent nation and then a global superpower, to strengthen cultural, economic, and political relations.