Press
Iraq's Ancient Past: Rediscovering Ur's Royal Cemetery Opens 25 October 2009
Penn Museum’s World-renowned Mesopotamian Collection from Ur is the Centerpiece Of a New Exhibition Exploring Iraq’s Ancient Cultural Heritage
PHILADELPHIA, PA—In 1922—the same year that Howard Carter made headlines with the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb in Egypt—the Penn Museum and the British Museum embarked upon a joint expedition to the ancient site of Ur in southern Iraq. Led by British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley, this expedition astonished the world by uncovering an extraordinary 4,500-year-old royal cemetery with more than 2,000 burials that detailed a remarkable ancient Mesopotamian civilization at the height of its glory.
Read more: Iraq's Ancient Past: Rediscovering Ur's Royal Cemetery Opens 25 October 2009
Righteous Dopefiend
New Exhibition at the Penn Museum Offers Intimate Look at Homelessness and Addiction in Urban America
December 5, 2009 through May 2010
Anthropologist Philippe Bourgois and photographer-ethnographer Jeff Schonberg spent more than a decade among a community of heroin injectors and crack smokers who survive on the streets of San Francisco's former industrial neighborhoods. Their extensive research formed the subject of a provocative new book, Righteous Dopefiend (University of California Press, Berkeley, 2009), and now, a new exhibition.
Righteous Dopefiend: Homelessness, Addiction, and Poverty in Urban America, opens Saturday, December 5, 2009 at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Philadelphia and runs through May 2010. More than forty black-and-white photographs are interwoven with edited transcriptions of tape-recorded conversations, field notes, and critical analysis to explore the intimate experience of homelessness and addiction.
Penn Museum Offers Wednesday Lunchtime Scholars Series
Penn Museum's behind-the-scenes research activities take center stage this fall, winter, and spring, through a new Wednesday lunchtime 12:00 pm series of illustrated talks-the Penn Museum Scholars Series. Attendees are invited to bring along lunch for the short talks and question-and-answer period programs, all "pay-as-you-want" with Museum admission donation. The presentations take place in Penn Museum's Classroom 2 just off the Trescher entrance.
The series, which began in October 2009, continues most weeks, December 2009 through mid-May 2010. Program updates, and descriptions, are posted on the Museum's website calendar.
Read more: Penn Museum Offers Wednesday Lunchtime Scholars Series
Penn Museum Hosts 40th Annual Welcome Reception for International Students and Scholars
PHILADELPHIA, PA—Welcome! Swagatam! Willkomen! Emedi!
International students and scholars new to the Delaware Valley are invited to attend this year’s annual welcome reception on Friday, 09 October 2009, 5pm to 7pm. The International Students Reception is held in the majestic Chinese Rotunda at the Penn Museum, 3260 South Street, in Philadelphia on the University of Pennsylvania campus.
Read more: Penn Museum Hosts 40th Annual Welcome Reception for International Students and Scholars
Uncorking the Past: Ancient Ales, Wines, and Extreme Beverages
An Evening of Talks, Tutored Tastings, and a Book signing with Penn Museum’s Patrick McGovern and Dogfish Head Brewery’s Sam Calagione, Thursday, 08 October 2009 at 6pm
Event Includes All Three of the Re-Created Ancient Ales from Dogfish Head--Midas Touch, Chateau Jiahu, and Theobroma—Plus a Surprise Beverage
PHILADELPHIA, PA—Patrick McGovern, biomolecular archaeologist at the Penn Museum and the leading authority on ancient fermented beverages, and Sam Calagione, Founder and President of Dogfish Head Brewery, team up to talk about how ancient ales and extreme beverages are discovered and brought back to life. The event is Uncorking the Past: Ancient Ales, Wines, and Extreme Beverages, an evening of talks, tastings, and a book signing, Thursday, 08 October 2009 at 6pm at the University of Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia.
Tickets to the special program can be purchased online. Advance tickets to the special program are $60; $45 for Penn Museum members. Tickets at the door, based on availability, are $75. Guests must be at least 21 years old to attend.
Read more: Uncorking the Past: Ancient Ales, Wines, and Extreme Beverages
Penn Museum Unveils New Website
PHILADELPHIA, PA—The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology has opened the door to its new home on the web at www.penn.museum. This new website offers a fresh new design, expanded research content, and behind-the-scenes features, as well as dynamic, interactive, and multimedia functionality to engage visitors at multiple levels.
Penn Museum Launches New Audio Tour
PHILADELPHIA, PA—Visitors to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology can now enjoy an English or Spanish audio tour of the Museum's galleries. The Highlights of the Collections Tour can be accessed through an Orpheo Classic handset (available to rent at the main entrance: $5 per person; $4 per person for Museum members and groups of 10 to 30) or via a free podcast download from iTunes. Wi-Fi hotspots in many of the Museum's public spaces allow visitors to access the podcast and other Museum content from laptops or smart phones.
“His Golden Touch: The Gordion Drawings of Piet de Jong” New Exhibition at the Penn Museum 26 September 2009 through 10 January 2010
30 JULY 2009, PHILADELPHIA, PA—One of the great archaeological illustrators of the 20th century, Piet de Jong spent the summer of 1957, at the invitation of excavation director Rodney Young, working at the renowned site of Gordion in central Turkey. While de Jong set about on a series of watercolors reconstructing wall paintings from a previously uncovered “Painted House,” ca. 500 BCE, Penn Museum excavators were making a now-famous discovery: they penetrated a large, exceptionally well-preserved grave mound, known as the “Midas Mound” for its association with the legendary King Midas and his family. There, they found a wealth, not of gold, but of royal artifacts and information about the Phrygian people of 2700 years ago.
November/December 2009 Calendar of Events at the Penn Museum
For the most updated information on programs offered at the Penn Museum, and for on-line pre-registration (optional or required for some programs) visit the Museum's website: www.penn.museum/calendar
02 November 2009
Monday, 5pm
Evening Lecture
Museums, Antiquities, and Cultural Property
James Cuno, President and Director of The Art Institute of Chicago and author of Who Owns Antiquity? Museums and the Battle over Our Ancient Heritage, presents his views and engages in discussion on the importance of cultural heritage and the control and ownership of antiquities in the 21st century. Sponsored by the Museum's Penn Cultural Heritage Center. Lecture admission: pay-what-you-like. Reservations requested. Information: (215) 898-4890.
Read more: November/December 2009 Calendar of Events at the Penn Museum
September/October 2009 Calendar of Events at the Penn Museum
For the most updated information on programs offered at the Penn Museum, and for on-line pre-registration (optional or required for some programs) visit our online calendar: www.penn.museum/calendar
09 September through 28 October 2009
Wednesdays, 5:30pm to 7pm
Vinyasa Yoga in the Galleries
Lauren Brown, certified yoga instructor, offers yoga sessions in the beautiful setting of the Penn Museum’s atmospheric galleries. This weekly Wednesday evening class, designed to accommodate all levels of ability, focuses on basic yoga positions for building strength and increasing endurance. Beginners are welcome. Attendees should bring a yoga mat and towel, and wear comfortable clothing. Class size is limited. $12 per class. Information: (215) 898-4890.
Read more: September/October 2009 Calendar of Events at the Penn Museum
Loa P. Traxler Appointed the Andrew W. Mellon Associate Deputy Director at the University of Pennsylvania Museum
28 APRIL 2009, PHILADELPHIA, PA—Richard Hodges, Williams Director of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Loa P. Traxler as the Museum’s Andrew W. Mellon Associate Deputy Director. The three-year appointment begins 01 June 2009.
A new position at the Penn Museum, the Mellon Associate Deputy Director will oversee the Museum’s academic programs, seeking to strengthen academic relations between the Museum and the University and increase awareness of the Museum as a dynamic resource for interdisciplinary learning. The position is intended to deepen and strengthen relationships with Penn faculty members and to encourage them to use the Museum’s extensive collections as teaching tools for both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as to strengthen relations among the University’s various Research Centers and the Museum. Dr. Traxler will also be responsible, working with a faculty committee, for the creation of a new interdepartmental World Archaeology major with courses linked to each of the Museum’s research sections, with additional courses in cultural heritage management, conservation, and museology.
40 Winks with the Sphinx
Sleepover Programs at the Penn Museum Offered Select Friday Nights
27 APRIL 2009, PHILADELPHIA, PA—Flashlights at the ready! Pith helmets optional; sleeping bags recommended! For the first time ever, children ages 6 to 12 and their parents or chaperones can take an overnight “expedition” to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology select weekend nights in late Spring and Fall 2009, when the Penn Museum offers a sleepover experience like none other: Forty Winks with the Sphinx. Dates for the sleepovers (advance registration is required): Fridays, May 29th, June 5th, June 12th, and into the fall, September 25th, October 30th (with a Halloween twist), November 20th, and December 4th.
Penn Museum's Ancient Egyptian Mummies Visit the Hospital: CT Scanning the Mummy Collection
29 APRIL 2009, PHILADELPHIA, PA--PUM II and Hapi-Men, two of the ancient Egyptian mummies on display at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, have had their share of medical scrutiny: PUM II was both x-rayed and autopsied in 1973, while Hapi-Men underwent an x-ray in 1980.
Early Sunday morning, April 19th, they traveled to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, for yet another medical procedure, and the chance for researchers to find out more about these 2000-plus year old mummies—this time, through state-of-the-art CT scanning. They were joined by Hapi-Men’s loyal (mummified) pet, affectionately known as Hapi-Puppy. All three mummies were successfully CT scanned, and returned to the Penn Museum before 9 a.m.—and before the hospital’s living human patients’ CT scan appointments began.
Ian Hodder, Dunlevie Family Professor, Stanford University, and Director of the Catalhoyuk Archaeological Project in Central Turkey, Becomes 29th Recipient of Lucy Wharton Drexel Medal for Archaeological Achievement
15 APRIL 2009, PHILADELPHIA, PA—Ian Hodder, Dunlevie Family Professor, Department of Cultural and Social Anthropology, Stanford University, and Director of the Catalhöyük Archaeological Project in central Turkey, became the 29th recipient of the University of Pennsylvania Museum’s Lucy Wharton Drexel Medal for archaeological achievement. Dr. Richard Hodges, the Museum’s Williams Director, presented him with the medal, the top honor that the Penn Museum bestows on a scholar, before Dr. Hodder presented a special talk, “A Conversation about Community Engagement in Archaeology,” to a public audience in the Museum's Rainey Auditorium Tuesday evening 14 April 2009.
5,100 Year Old Chemical Evidence for Ancient Medicinal Remedies Discovered in Ancient Egyptian Wine Jars
Penn Museum and Penn Medicine Researchers Collaborate To Test Promising Medicinal Compounds Once Employed by Our Ancestors
14 APRIL 2009, PHILADELPHIA, PA—Hippocrates (ca. 460-370 BCE), the most famous of ancient physicians, once noted: "Wine is fit for man in a wonderful way provided that it is taken with good sense by the sick as well as the healthy." Now new archaeochemical evidence, backed up by increasingly sophisticated scientific testing techniques, are pointing to a long history of medicinal remedies tried, tested, and sometimes lost, throughout millennia of human history—herbs, tree resins, and other organic materials dispensed by ancient fermented beverages like wine and beer.
Mummy Dearest!
Young Friends of the Penn Museum Present Mystery Theater in the Penn Museum’s Upper Egyptian Gallery Thursday, May 7, at 6:00 pm
10 APRIL 2009, PHILADELPHIA, PA—Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, murder and intrigue all unfold among the ancient Egyptian artifacts of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at 6:00 pm on Thursday, 07 May 2009 when the Young Friends of the Penn Museum present Mummy Dearest!
Science and Archaeology in Painted Metaphors
10 MARCH 2009, PHILADELPHIA, PA—In earlier years this exhibition might have been only a display of interesting objects. Now, breakthroughs in our ability to read Maya hieroglyphs, new data from new archaeological discoveries, and new scientific techniques allow us to look at the artifacts in this exhibition from a fresh perspective. Scientific research leading up to and incorporated in to this exhibition include:
WOW! Superhero Day at the Penn Museum
22 FEBRUARY 2009, PHILADELPHIA, PA—ZAP! ZOOM! POW! Superheroes, super villains, and their sidekicks have enjoyed an honored place in American comics and movies—as they have in cultures around the world. Watch out on Sunday, 22 March 2009 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., as superheroes, traveling through time and across continents, invade the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology on the Penn campus in an afternoon of super antics, super games—and super fun!
It’s WOW! Superhero Day, free with Museum admission donation, featuring activities for all ages: heroic talks and programs, comic book drawing workshops, superhero-style storytelling, a heroic scavenger hunt and heroic gallery tours, a balloon maker, a superhero marketplace with games and comics, Superhero Twister, comic hero mask making, and opportunities to learn and play popular superhero games. All superheroes and super villains who attend in costume receive discount admission ($2 off adult; $1 off children and senior citizens)—and the chance to win super prizes throughout the afternoon!
WOW! Superhero Day at the Penn Museum is a featured event of a year-long celebration, POW: Comics, Animation, and Graphic Novels, running Fall 2008 through Spring 2009 at the University of Pennsylvania.
Superheroes are the focus of three short programs. Peter Struck, Associate Professor of Classical Studies, University of Pennsylvania, looks back in time at “Ancient Heroes and Superheroes” at 1:15 p.m. "Costumed Culture Warriors" is the title of a short program featuring movie clips by Andrew J. Douglas, Ph.D., Director of Education at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute, at 2:00 p.m. “The Physics of Superheroes, or Why Can’t We All Ignore the Laws of Nature?” an interactive program by Bill Berner, Penn Physics Demonstration Laboratory Coordinator, takes a scientific view of the possible and impossible feats performed by a range of well-known superheroes at 3:00 p.m.
20th Annual Celebration of African Cultures Offers Music, Dance, Storytelling, Talks, Games and More at the University of Pennsylvania Museum
21 FEBRUARY 2009, PHILADELPHIA, PA—Music and dance of Africa, storytelling, arts and crafts, gallery tours, culture and cuisine—it all comes together at the 20th annual Celebration of African Cultures Saturday, February 21, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. throughout the galleries of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. The event is FREE with Museum admission donation ($10 for adults; $7 for seniors, 65 and above; $6 for students and children 6-17; free for Museum members, children under 6, and PENNcard holders).
Penn Museum Offers Summer 2009 Day Camp
“ANTHROPOLOGISTS IN THE MAKING” FOR CHILDREN AGES 7 TO 13
10 FEBRUARY 2009, PHILADELPHIA, PA—For the summer of 2009, adventurous children ages 7 through 13 can experience a day camp that takes them through time and across continents at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology on Penn’s campus in Philadelphia.
