Penn Museum | Penn Today

4,300-year-old tomb was a doorway for the afterlife. Now it’s being reassembled

The Penn Museum is reassembling the Tomb Chapel of Kaipure, a 4,300 year old door to the afterlife that was located in Egypt.

The South Gate cemetery excavations, with Gareth Darbyshire (foreground left), Brian Rose (foreground right), and Simon Greenslade (middle background). Tumulus MM is in the distance at upper left

The discovery of a tomb linked to King Midas

Penn researchers and collaborators have discovered a 2,800-year-old royal tomb linked to Midas Dynasty in Gordion, Türkiye.

2 min. read

Patrick McGovern, the ‘Indiana Jones of ancient alcohol,’ dies at 80

Patrick McGovern of the School of Arts & Sciences and Penn Museum, renowned for his forensic analysis of ancient drinkware and archaeological recreation of alcohol, has passed away.

Iraq’s Yazidis rediscover lost history through photos found in a museum archive

Penn Museum archaeologists have documented the daily lives of the Yazidi people of Iraq through photographs rediscovered after the Islamic State devastated the religious minority.

The exterior of Penn’s Weitzman School under construction.

A survey of summer construction progress across campus

Ahead of Move-In and the start of a new academic year, construction teams mark milestones in vital renovations and maintenance across the University.

5 min. read

In Belize, Maya descendants are reviving an ancient, sacred ballgame

Simon Martin of the Penn Museum and School of Arts & Sciences discusses pok-ta-pok, an ancient Mayan ball game.

Meskalamdug's Helmet: One of the world's oldest helmets depicts a Mesopotamian prince's man bun

The Penn Museum contains one copy of Meskalamdug’s helmet, a 15-karat gold helmet discovered in a royal tomb at the ancient Mesopotamian city of Ur.

Penn Museum to license online tool developed by Barnes Foundation that provides up-close look at artifacts

The Penn Museum has partnered with the Barnes Foundation to license an online tool that lets users get up-close and personal with some of its artifacts, featuring four virtual sessions on ancient history from Penn faculty, scholars, and field experts.

Sierra Williams standing on a stairway in a library.

Researching cultural heritage at the Penn Museum

Aiming for a career in the museum field, Sierra Williams, a rising third-year in the College of Arts & Sciences, is working on a research study at the Penn Museum’s Penn Cultural Heritage Center through the Summer Humanities Internship Program.