Anthropology | Penn Today

Raise a toast in honor of the world’s oldest known beerhall!

A team of researchers from Penn and the University of Pisa, led by Holly Pittman of the School of Arts & Sciences and the Penn Museum, have excavated a site in Iraq that could contain the oldest tavern ever discovered.

World’s oldest bar? Archaeologists find a nearly 5,000-year-old tavern

Ancient refrigerator, beer recipe, and tavern among the latest discoveries at Lagash, Iraq

A team of archaeologists from Penn and the University of Pisa have discovered the remains of a 5,000-year-old tavern and an ancient beer recipe in the ruins of ancient Lagash in Iraq.

Archaeologists digging in Iraq have located the remains of a 5,000-year-old tavern—as well as a ‘beer recipe’

Holly Pittman of the School of Arts & Sciences and the Penn Museum and colleagues have uncovered the remains of a public eating space dated to 2700 B.C.E. in Lagash, an ancient city site in southern Iraq.

Iraq dig uncovers 5,000-year-old pub restaurant

A joint U.S.-Italian archaeological team led by Holly Pittman of the School of Arts & Sciences and the Penn Museum has uncovered the remains of a nearly 5,000-year-old tavern in southern Iraq.

Francisco Diaz at the Penn Museum in front of a carved stone pillar

Who, What, Why

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.

Two rows of people: William Beltran, Brian Gregory, Insup Lee, Guo-Li Ming. Bottom row: Eric Schelter, Theodore Schurr, Warren Seider, and Karen Winey.

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.

5,000-year-old tavern uncovered in Iraq

Holly Pittman of the School of Arts & Sciences and the Penn Museum and colleagues have uncovered a public eating space dated to 2700 B.C.E. in Lagash, an ancient city site in southern Iraq.

Four people kneel outside in front of a memoerial plaque, each person with one hand touching it. The words "African Burial Ground ca. 1750-1800" are visible.

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

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.

Filters