10.21
Archaeology
A quest to restore cultural heritage in Iraq, one site at a time
A quest to restore cultural heritage in Iraq, one site at a time
Penn archaeologists, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Mosul and Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, seek to undo the terrible destruction ISIS wrought, particularly on targeted minority groups.
Crowdsourcing 10,000 years of land use
Crowdsourcing 10,000 years of land use
More than 250 archaeologists from around the world contributed their knowledge to ArchaeoGLOBE, an effort to better understand the prevalence of agriculture, pastoralism, and hunting and gathering at different points in human history.
Through gemstones, a glimpse into ancient Egyptian civilization
Through gemstones, a glimpse into ancient Egyptian civilization
Doctoral student Shelby Justl’s research expands what we know about who controlled semiprecious stones like red jasper and carnelian, plus their cultural and economic significance.
Night at the (Penn) Museum
Night at the (Penn) Museum
What it’s like to sleep over with mummies and more than 10,000 years’ worth of artifacts.
Declassified images from U2 spy planes reveal bygone Middle Eastern archaeological features
Declassified images from U2 spy planes reveal bygone Middle Eastern archaeological features
Researchers from Penn and Harvard are the first to make archaeological use of U2 spy plane imagery, and have created a tool that allows other researchers to identify and access the Cold War-era photos.
Egypt on display
Egypt on display
Penn Museum opens a new Ancient Egypt exhibition to display artifacts and their conservation during its Building Transformation project.
State Department awards Penn $2 million to preserve cultural heritage in northern Iraq
State Department awards Penn $2 million to preserve cultural heritage in northern Iraq
The two-phase, three-year project aims to revitalize the city and its culture.
Marking the winter solstice, from Neolithic times to today
Marking the winter solstice, from Neolithic times to today
For millennia, people have marked the winter solstice with rituals and celebrations—and they continue to do so today. Penn Museum anthropologists Lucy Fowler Williams and Megan Kassabaum discuss both ancient and contemporary customs associated with attending to the shortest day of the year.
Collective grief over loss from Brazil’s National Museum fire
Collective grief over loss from Brazil’s National Museum fire
Members of the Penn Museum’s archeological community discuss the devastation felt over the destruction of an invaluable piece of world history.
See you later, sphinx
See you later, sphinx
The Penn Museum's 3,000-year-old sphinx of Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II will be stored under wraps and out of public view for several years for gallery renovations, starting July 9th.
In the News
Associated Press
The European Art Scene Began With Neanderthals
Harold Dibble of the School of Arts and Sciences weighs in on new studies claiming cave paintings and decorated seashells found in Spain must have been created by Neanderthals 20,000 years prior to the arrival of Homo sapiens in Europe.
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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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