8.21
Archaeology
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.
Did serial killer H. H. Holmes fake his own death?
Did serial killer H. H. Holmes fake his own death?
Biological archaeologists from the Penn Museum have helped resolve a lingering question about serial killer H. H. Holmes that has persisted since 1896: his final resting place.
Revealing Penn Museum’s Middle East treasures
Revealing Penn Museum’s Middle East treasures
Objects that trace the path of human history—from the era of hunting and gathering to the creation of cities—are on display in the Museum’s new Middle East Galleries.
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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