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What lies beneath
A scuba diver under water.

To better understand trade and economics along the Mediterranean Sea during Late Antiquity, second-year Ph.D. student Konstantinos Raptis dives deep into the ocean. Artifacts and shipwrecks remain preserved on the seafloor, offering a rare time capsule from a world long gone by.

(Image: Courtesy of Konstantinos Raptis)

What lies beneath

From uncovering ancient ways of life to addressing the pressing threat of climate change, scholars at Penn Arts & Sciences are finding an upside to looking down.

2 min. read

Awards and honors for Penn faculty in the School of Arts & Sciences
The Fisher Fine Arts building and College Hall.

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Awards and honors for Penn faculty in the School of Arts & Sciences

A roundup of the latest awards and accolades for Arts & Sciences faculty in criminology, sociology, political science, Africana studies, English, and history.

Penn Today Staff

2 min. read

How mismanagement of gout could have impacted the American Revolution
Sketch of two colonial-era men at table, one with an injured foot.

 Coloured etching by T.L. Busby, 1826.

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How mismanagement of gout could have impacted the American Revolution

Penn biology professor Philip A. Rea has written a provocative piece examining how gout sidelined two influential 18th-century British leaders and why England eschewed an effective gout treatment.

2 min. read

Reflecting on the 250th—and what’s still ahead
Philadelphia’s Independence Hall.

Image: Franziska Spiecker/picture-alliance/dpa via AP Images

Reflecting on the 250th—and what’s still ahead

Activities for the semiquincentennial will continue into the fall, with art exhibits, courses, nationally renowned speakers, workshops, and musical programming.

3 min. read

The journey of Franklin’s fire bell
The historic Academy Bell is on display in the Van Pelt Library.

The historic Academy Bell on display in the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center.

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The journey of Franklin’s fire bell

A sister of Philadelphia’s famous Liberty Bell, Penn’s Academy Bell has been secreted from the city during the Revolutionary War, signaled the start of class and the outbreak of fires, hung in a church tower, and stored in basements around Penn’s campus before going on display.

3 min. read

Mapping Penn and Franklin in Revolutionary Philadelphia
map of historic penn

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Mapping Penn and Franklin in Revolutionary Philadelphia

From the Market Street Wharf on the Delaware River, Penn’s founder Benjamin Franklin began making his mark on the city of Philadelphia in 1723, establishing his home and print shop at 3rd and Market Street. At 4th St. and Arch, he founded The College of Philadelphia (now Penn), and signed the Declaration of Independence at the Pennsylvania Assembly House at 4th and Chestnut.

Video

The Declaration of Independence: Then and now
Copy of the Declaration of Independence on a printing press.

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The Declaration of Independence: Then and now

Penn Today spoke with historian Daniel Richter, philosopher Jennifer Morton, and democratic governance expert Claire Finkelstein about the Declaration’s historical context, political ideas, and evolving legacy.

4 min. read

The history of Pennsylvania Hospital’s Pine Building
The facade of the Pennsylvania Hospital.

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The history of Pennsylvania Hospital’s Pine Building

The original structure of the nation’s first chartered hospital—home to early mental health and maternity care—is a living symbol of innovation.

From Penn Medicine News

3 min. read