11/15
Archaeology
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.
Additional challenges in bringing research online
Additional challenges in bringing research online
As research on campus slowly restarts, those whose work requires field surveys, large-scale collaborations, or travel face additional challenges in bringing their research back online.
Juan Castrillón’s ‘Re-Covering the Ney Collection’
Juan Castrillón’s ‘Re-Covering the Ney Collection’
Juan Castrillón, a Ph.D. candidate in ethnomusicology, had pre-planned an online version of his exhibit “Re-Covering the Ney Collection,” which is proving valuable now that museumgoers are staying home.
The curious case of ancient bear bones at a Mississippi dig site
The curious case of ancient bear bones at a Mississippi dig site
Penn and UNC Chapel Hill researchers theorize that the considerable black bear remains indicate an animal that was a food source and considered close kin to the people who lived there 1,300 years ago.
Nourishing the brain with conversations about food
Nourishing the brain with conversations about food
A yearlong colloquium from Penn Anthropology offers a steady diet of research perspectives, delving into how this facet of culture affects modern health and practices, and broadens our historical outlook.
A unique fellowship for Middle Eastern languages
A unique fellowship for Middle Eastern languages
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, the Foreign Language and Area Studies Program (FLAS) offers undergraduate and graduate-level academic year and summer fellowships to Penn students studying Middle Eastern languages.
Penn Museum’s transformation revealed
Penn Museum’s transformation revealed
The main level reopens after a historic renovation featuring the relocated sphinx and completely reimagined Africa and Mexico/Central America galleries.
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.
In the News
Artnet News
Do these ancient seals unlock clues to the origins of writing?
Holly Pittman of the School of Arts & Sciences and Penn Museum helped contribute to a study arguing that ancient Sumerian seals used to brand products shaped the formation of cuneiform, humanity’s earliest known example of writing.
FULL STORY →
NPR
Olympic prizes: How did we get to the three medals?
Brigitte Keslinke of the Penn Museum says that the primary prizes won by victors of the ancient Olympics were crowned wreaths.
FULL STORY →
BBC
From Ancient Egypt to Roman Britain, brewers are reviving beers from the past
Patrick McGovern of the School of Arts & Sciences and Penn Museum oversaw the first hi-tech molecular analysis of residues found in bronze drinking vessels during a 1950s excavation of an ancient Turkish tomb.
FULL STORY →
Time
Why Indigenous artifacts should be returned to Indigenous communities
The Penn Museum is noted for creating its “Native American Voices: The People—Here and Now” exhibit with the help of tribal representatives.
FULL STORY →
BBC
Gordion: A lost city of legends in central Turkey
Brian Rose of the School of Arts & Sciences and Penn Museum has led excavations at the ancient Turkish city of Gordion since 2007.
FULL STORY →
ARS Technica
Mummified baboons point to the direction of the fabled land of Punt
Josef Wegner of the School of Arts & Sciences and Penn Museum says that archaeologists have long entertained theories on the locale of ancient Egyptian trading partner Punt, despite the lack of precise directions.
FULL STORY →