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Louisa Shepard
Senior News Officer
lshepard@upenn.edu
Anthropology
Reconsidering world heritage for the modern era
Reconsidering world heritage for the modern era
Through recent research, archaeologist and Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor Lynn Meskell has continued to highlight how World Heritage Sites have become flashpoints for conflict and out of touch with local communities.
Who, What, Why: Francisco Díaz on anthropology and the modern Maya
Who, What, Why: Francisco Díaz on anthropology and the modern Maya
Francisco Díaz studies Maya contributions to archeology at a time when Indigenous people were viewed as little more than laborers. His research shows that Indigenous people were archaeologists in their own right, working season after season with specialized skills to excavate the past.
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.
Media Contact
In the News
Associated Press
Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old canals used to fish by predecessors of ancient Maya
Jeremy Sabloff of the School of Arts & Sciences and Penn Museum says that ancient fish-trapping canals show continuity in Maya culture.
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Artnet News
Do these ancient seals unlock clues to the origins of writing?
Holly Pittman of the School of Arts & Sciences and Penn Museum helped contribute to a study arguing that ancient Sumerian seals used to brand products shaped the formation of cuneiform, humanity’s earliest known example of writing.
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The Conversation
Reconstructing heritage after war: what we learned from asking 1,600 Syrians about rebuilding Aleppo
In a co-authored survey of residents of the Syrian city of Aleppo, PIK Professor Lynn Meskell identifies four key themes for the reconstruction of heritage sites after conflict.
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BBC
From Ancient Egypt to Roman Britain, brewers are reviving beers from the past
Patrick McGovern of the School of Arts & Sciences and Penn Museum oversaw the first hi-tech molecular analysis of residues found in bronze drinking vessels during a 1950s excavation of an ancient Turkish tomb.
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Time
Why Indigenous artifacts should be returned to Indigenous communities
The Penn Museum is noted for creating its “Native American Voices: The People—Here and Now” exhibit with the help of tribal representatives.
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Associated Press
International Women’s Day is a celebration and call to action. Beware the flowers and candy
Kristen Ghodsee of the School of Arts & Sciences explores International Women’s Day as a tool for activism in Russian history.
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