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Michele W. Berger
Senior Science News Officer
mwberger@upenn.edu
Anthropology
Eight Penn professors elected 2022 AAAS Fellows
Eight Penn professors elected 2022 AAAS Fellows
Researchers from the School of Arts & Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Perelman School of Medicine, and School of Veterinary Medicine join a class of scientists, engineers, and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines.
Whole-genome analysis offers clarity about remains of 36 enslaved Africans in 18th-century Charleston
Whole-genome analysis offers clarity about remains of 36 enslaved Africans in 18th-century Charleston
Building on previous work from the community-initiated Anson Street African Burial Ground project, a team of researchers from Penn led a community-engaged collaborative study that confirmed that the individuals closely align genetically with populations in West and West Central Africa.
At a southern Iraq site, unearthing the archaeological passing of time
At a southern Iraq site, unearthing the archaeological passing of time
When Holly Pittman and colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania and University of Pisa returned to Lagash in the fall of 2022 for a fourth season, they knew they’d find more than ceramic fragments and another kiln.
What secrets might 2-million-year-old DNA hold?
What secrets might 2-million-year-old DNA hold?
Scientists from Denmark recently extracted and sequenced the oldest-ever DNA, from permafrost in Greenland, revealing a robust ecosystem of 135 species. Penn Today spoke with four faculty members about the potential power of ancient DNA.
New Eastern Mediterranean Gallery opens at the Penn Museum
New Eastern Mediterranean Gallery opens at the Penn Museum
Featuring 400 objects that span a period of 4,000 years, the Penn Museum is opening its new Eastern Mediterranean Gallery, the latest step in a multi-year building transformation.
Who, What, Why: Lucía Stavig
Who, What, Why: Lucía Stavig
Lucía Stavig, a Peruvian postdoctoral fellow in anthropology, works on healing through connection in the Andes.
The allure of fad diets, and why they fail
The allure of fad diets, and why they fail
In a new book, Penn nutritional anthropologist Janet Chrzan and Kima Cargill of the University of Washington, Tacoma, explain the cultural, social, and psychological fixation on fad diets and why they don’t typically succeed.
Decolonize the future: Defending Indigenous rights and lands
Decolonize the future: Defending Indigenous rights and lands
Three Maya activists from Belize spoke with Richard M. Leventhal about the challenges and progress they’ve made on land rights in recent years.
Poet Wes Matthews combines writing, music, research, and service
Poet Wes Matthews combines writing, music, research, and service
College fourth-year Wes Matthews is combining writing, music, research, and service during his Penn experience. A former Youth Poet Laureate of Philadelphia, the anthropology major and religious studies minor works at the Kelly Writers House and is a Wolf Humanities Center fellow.
‘Citizenship on the Edge’
‘Citizenship on the Edge’
In a new book, anthropologist Deborah A. Thomas and political scientist Nancy J. Hirschmann look at who’s kept out of social governance and belonging.
Media Contact
In the News
Philadelphia Inquirer
Why we keep falling for fad diets that don’t work
In a Q&A, Janet Chrzan of the School of Nursing and the School of Arts & Sciences discusses the cultural and anthropological research behind her recently co-authored book, “Anxious Eaters: Why We Fall for Fad Diets.”
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CBS Philadelphia
Penn Museum helps make historic find in Northern Iraq
A team led by Michael Danti of the Penn Museum and the School of Arts & Sciences has uncovered an Assyrian palace in the ancient city of Nimrud in Northern Iraq.
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CBC Radio (Canada)
The push to list the Great Barrier Reef as endangered
On an episode of “The Current with Matt Galloway,” PIK Professor Lynn Meskell discusses whether the Great Barrier Reef could be added to UNESCO’s endangered list.
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Art Newspaper
First major dig in ancient Iraqi city since Isis destruction unearths ‘significant’ palace door sill
Michael Danti of the Penn Museum and the School of Arts & Sciences and colleagues have uncovered an impressive 2-meter-high door threshold in the ancient Iraqi city of Nimrud.
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Science
Prehistoric carvings depict showdowns between humans and beasts
PIK Professor Lynn Meskell says that newly discovered prehistoric artwork needs to be considered alongside archaeological evidence like food remains, human skeletons, and other artifacts.
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PBS NewsHour
Museum works to repatriate artifacts looted from West Africa
The redesigned Africa Galleries at the Penn Museum seeks to return artifacts and transform narratives of colonization, with remarks from Tukufu Zuberi of the School of Arts & Sciences and the Museum and Christopher Woods, director of the Museum.
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