Ancient Near Eastern art became its own curatorial area in 1987. Prior to that, Ancient Near Eastern art studies were conducted by Curatorial - Near Eastern Art. A Curatorial Chair or Chief Curator was established in 1998, to which the curatorial area of ancient Near Eastern art now reports.

Ann Gunter was Assistant Curator from 1987 to 1994 and Associate Curator from 1994 to the present. There were about four years (1987-1991) between the creation of Curatorial - Ancient Near Eastern Art and the dissolution of Curatorial - Near Eastern Art. During this overlapping time, it is likely that Glenn D. Lowry, Curator of Near Eastern Art, conducted some of the activities and studies of ancient Near Eastern art.

Curatorial - Ancient Near Eastern Art conducts research; publishes; lectures; studies and translates texts, seals, and artifacts; and provides expert opinions on provenance, age, and quality of Freer/Sackler artifacts of ancient Near Eastern art. Research and lectures take place both in these galleries and in other research sites in this country and abroad.