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Claire Conklin Sabel, a doctoral student in Penn’s History and Sociology of Science department, uncovers the findings of 18th-century amateur naturalist Elizabeth Thomas, along with illustrator Alix Pentecost-Farren, who brings Thomas’ work to life.
Kimberly Bowes of the School of Arts & Sciences focuses on the lived experience of the Roman Empire’s working poor and the economies that dominated their lives 2,00 years ago.
Four faculty have been named 2022 Guggenheim Fellows—Daniel Barber in architecture in the Weitzman School of Design and Kimberly Bowes in classical studies, Guthrie Ramsey in music, and Paul Saint-Amour in English in the School of Arts & Sciences.
In wartime, saving human lives is a top priority. But secondary considerations often include preserving the cultural heritage also under siege. Penn experts offer their thoughts as the situation in Ukraine continues to unfold.
Penn Museum Director Christopher Woods leads the massive transformation of the 135-year-old institution’s building while reevaluating the collection, expanding the staff and community engagement, and addressing sensitive issues through new policies.
History of Art’s Ivan Drpić is working with sophomore Logan Cho to create 3D renderings of what once-gilded paintings on the walls of a medieval church in Serbia would have looked like.
At a site in southern India, archaeologist Kathleen Morrison and colleagues discovered the remains of two types of dough, offering insights into how the region’s dietary practices have evolved.
In a Q & A, archaeologist and PIK Professor Lynn Meskell discusses her background, the subjects that interest her—from espionage to World Heritage sites—and collaborations that have organically arisen at Penn despite the pandemic and a mostly remote first year.
Deborah Thomas, who runs Penn’s Center for Experimental Ethnography, and Christopher Woods, director of the Penn Museum, discuss a conference on decolonization that starts today.
A new Penn Museum exhibition puts a spotlight on fashion featuring 250 items spanning 2,500 years, including clothing, jewelry, uniforms, weapons, even tattoos. “The Stories We Wear” will be on view through June 12.
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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Patrick McGovern of the School of Arts and Sciences was cited for his work studying and recreating ancient beverages.
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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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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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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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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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