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Penn Museum
Penn Libraries receives major gift of rare photographic plates by Edward S. Curtis
Penn Libraries receives major gift of rare photographic plates by Edward S. Curtis
The University of Pennsylvania Libraries has received a rare collection of 151 interpositive glass plates by photographer Edward S. Curtis (1868–1952) from collector William H. Miller III. Appraised at $4.2 million, the gift to the Penn Libraries complements holdings across the University, making Penn a major center for research and work on Curtis, one of the most prolific American photographers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Tackling the topic of decolonization
Tackling the topic of decolonization
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.
‘The Stories We Wear’ puts a spotlight on fashion spanning 2,500 years
‘The Stories We Wear’ puts a spotlight on fashion spanning 2,500 years
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.
Report on the handling of human remains from the 1985 MOVE tragedy
Report on the handling of human remains from the 1985 MOVE tragedy
The findings from an independent investigation into the handling of human remains following the 1985 MOVE tragedy were released after the report was shared directly with members of the Africa Family.
Metal artifacts in Southeast Asia challenge long-held archaeological theory
Metal artifacts in Southeast Asia challenge long-held archaeological theory
According to the Penn Museum’s Joyce White and Elizabeth Hamilton, prehistoric communities, rather than the ruling elites, in Thailand were the deciders in how to use metal resources.
A fieldwork experience, no travel required
A fieldwork experience, no travel required
During a two-week in-person bootcamp at the Penn Museum, 11 undergrads learned basic archaeological skills in subjects from ceramics and sample-taking to archaeobotany.
Penn team expands cultural heritage work in Iraq, backed by new funding
Penn team expands cultural heritage work in Iraq, backed by new funding
Three big new projects—restoration of a fortification gate, repair of an important landmark, and a survey of historic nonreligious architecture—recently got underway.
To improve climate models, an international team turns to archaeological data
To improve climate models, an international team turns to archaeological data
The project, called LandCover6k, offers a new classification system that the researchers hope will improve predictions about the planet’s future and fill in gaps about its past.
Penn Museum announces the repatriation of the Morton Cranial Collection
Penn Museum announces the repatriation of the Morton Cranial Collection
The remains of Black Philadelphians within the Samuel G. Morton Cranial collection will be repatriated or reburied, based on a report that outlined recommendations from the Morton Collection Committee.
Penn Museum interns explore jazz through family, protest, and creativity
Penn Museum interns explore jazz through family, protest, and creativity
Penn Museum interns delve into “The Year of Jazz” through a monthly series of events exploring family, protest, and creativity. Music Professor Guthrie Ramsey and his singer/songwriter daughter Bridget Ramsey headline the first event on Feb. 28.
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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Philadelphia Inquirer
A burial for 19 Black Philadelphians, 200 years in the making
Penn Museum Director Christopher Woods says that the interment of 19 Black Philadelphians at Eden Cemetery represents a reckoning with the Museum’s colonial past and an act of reconciliation with the local community.
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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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Philadelphia Magazine
This new wellness series at Penn Museum will be the best thing you do all winter
Penn Medicine and the Penn Museum have partnered to provide a happy healthy hour this winter, turning the Museum’s galleries into self-care sanctuaries with a rotating schedule of holistic health services.
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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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