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Archaeology
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.
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.
In the News
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.
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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.
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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.
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Huffington Post
There’s a reason why your boyfriend or husband is obsessed with the Roman Empire
Kimberly Bowes of the School of Arts & Sciences believes that modern-day male obsession with the Roman Empire has something to do with men’s preoccupation of power.
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Miami Herald
‘Spectacular’ statue of a fish-tailed ‘minion’ god found at ancient Roman burial site
According to research from the School of Arts & Sciences, ancient Romans believed that the god Triton lived in a golden palace at the bottom of the sea.
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Philadelphia Business Journal
Penn Museum to start work on $54M Ancient Egypt and Nubia galleries project, the largest renovation in its history
The Penn Museum plans to begin renovation on its $54 million Ancient Egypt and Nubia galleries this fall, with remarks from Christopher Woods.
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