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Archaeology
Metal artifacts in Southeast Asia challenge long-held archaeological theory
Metal artifacts in Southeast Asia challenge long-held archaeological theory
According to the Penn Museum’s Joyce White and Elizabeth Hamilton, prehistoric communities, rather than the ruling elites, in Thailand were the deciders in how to use metal resources.
A fieldwork experience, no travel required
A fieldwork experience, no travel required
During a two-week in-person bootcamp at the Penn Museum, 11 undergrads learned basic archaeological skills in subjects from ceramics and sample-taking to archaeobotany.
Penn team expands cultural heritage work in Iraq, backed by new funding
Penn team expands cultural heritage work in Iraq, backed by new funding
Three big new projects—restoration of a fortification gate, repair of an important landmark, and a survey of historic nonreligious architecture—recently got underway.
Turning an archaeological practice on its head
Turning an archaeological practice on its head
In a new book, Megan Kassabaum challenges the field to take a forward-looking approach, rather than one that looks backward. She does this through the study of a Native American architectural feature called platform mounds.
To improve climate models, an international team turns to archaeological data
To improve climate models, an international team turns to archaeological data
The project, called LandCover6k, offers a new classification system that the researchers hope will improve predictions about the planet’s future and fill in gaps about its past.
Penn Museum awarded National Endowment for the Humanities grant
Penn Museum awarded National Endowment for the Humanities grant
The Penn Museum has been awarded a $750,000 Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.The grant will help catalyze fundraising for the renovation of the Museum’s Egyptian Wing, part of its major Building Transformation project.
From preserving mummies to practicing medicine
From preserving mummies to practicing medicine
Physician-in-training Charlotte Tisch draws on her background in archaeological artifacts for her medical training, even reaching out to museums for PPE during the pandemic.
Uncovered burial ground reveals history of 36 enslaved Africans in 18th-century Charleston
Uncovered burial ground reveals history of 36 enslaved Africans in 18th-century Charleston
According to the research, many of these individuals originated in sub-Saharan Africa, in line with historical accounts of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. This work, the largest DNA study of its kind to date, was co-led by anthropologist Theodore Schurr and conducted with support from and at the request of the local community.
Southeast Asian megadrought dating back 5,000 years discovered in Laos cave
Southeast Asian megadrought dating back 5,000 years discovered in Laos cave
In a Q&A, Penn archaeologist Joyce White discusses the partnership with paleoclimatologists that led to the finding, plus possible implications of such a dramatic climate change for societies at that time.
Cave discovery holds clues to earliest Homo sapiens in Europe
Cave discovery holds clues to earliest Homo sapiens in Europe
Ancient DNA from 46,000-year-old bone fragments and a tooth reveals this group likely overlapped with Neanderthals for thousands of years.
In the News
NBC News
Laser-scanning tech uncovers huge network of ancient Mayan farms
Emily Hammer of the School of Arts and Sciences commented on research that used lasers to unveil a network of ancient Mayan farms. “This important study and others like it are demonstrating that large-scale ancient modification of land surfaces in tropical zones across the world likely contributed to the early beginnings of a period in which humans became a significant transformative force in the Earth system,” she said.
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The New York Times
Israeli scientists brew beer with revived ancient yeasts
Patrick McGovern of the School of Arts and Sciences was cited for his work studying and recreating ancient beverages.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Schuylkill Yards development may rest on the Quaker dead
David Brownlee of the School of Arts and Sciences and Aaron Wunsch of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design commented on the existence of historic graveyards beneath the Schuylkill Yards development near Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station.
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Science
Declassified U-2 spy plane photos are a boon for aerial archaeology
Emily Hammer of the School of Arts and Sciences authored a study that revealed that declassified Cold War-era aerial photographs can help archaeologists and anthropologists study lost historical sites. “Older images are much better, because archaeology is in many ways a race against time,” Hammer said.
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Gizmodo
Blue pigment in 1,000-year-old teeth links women to the production of medieval manuscripts
The Libraries’ Nicholas Herman offered commentary on a study that used bio-archaeology to identify ultramarine in the dental tartar of an 11th-century woman in rural Germany. “Only by looking very closely at new kinds of evidence can we begin to discover the true importance of female artisans,” said Herman.
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BBC News
Meet the Dogs Being Trained to Sniff Out Looted Ancient Treasures
The School of Veterinary Medicine’s Working Dog Center is collaborating with Red Arch Cultural Heritage Law & Policy Research to train five dogs to identify stolen artifacts. (Video)
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