Ancient Sardis was the capital of the kingdom of Lydia, located in western Anatolia in present-day Turkey. The Archaelogical Exploration of Sardis program began in 1958. It is a joint effort of Harvard and Cornell University and has conducted annual excavations in Turkey since 1958. These microfilm copies of excavation records (fieldbooks and object cards) date from 1958 through 1983. The microfilm itself was made in 1984.