Sphere and Now

Dec. 20, 2024

By Stephen Lang

Stephen Lang, Lyons Keeper of Collections in the Asian Section, shows us where the Penn Museum’s crystal ball ranks among the top 10 largest crystal balls in the world.

Read More

Dec. 16, 2024

By Stephen Lang

Discovering Local Wisdom from Southeast Asia

As part of the “Year of Botany,” Penn Museum is curating a vast collection of ethnographic materials collected near the UNESCO site of Ban Chiang in Thailand.

Fieldwork

A man stands at a dig site taking notes and wearing a hat, there is a measuring device in front of him resembling a telescope

Nov. 25, 2024

By Quinn Russell Brown

Archaeology, Adventure, and Spycraft

George H. McFadden—a Penn Museum Research Associate who ferried spies from Alexandria to Cyprus during World War II—is the subject of a new biography.

Fieldwork

Nov. 01, 2024

By Conservation Department

What Does a Penn Museum Conservator Do?

Ask a Conservator Day is an annual chance to shed light on the critical—but often invisible—work of conservation professionals. Penn Museum Head Conservator Molly Gleeson shares answers to some frequently asked questions about the profession.

Collections

Oct. 15, 2024

By Charlotte Williams

The Paper Trails of Archaeological Labor

Throughout the 20th century, American archaeologists announced a mesmerizing series of major discoveries in Central America. Looking back at the archives, a common theme appears: The archaeologists listened to local knowledge and relied on local labor.

Research

Sep. 27, 2024

By Jo Tiongson-Perez

The Skywatchers

From charting stars that measured time in Ancient Egypt to surveying space with digital telescopes today, Penn Museum’s Egyptologist Jennifer Wegner and The Franklin Institute’s Chief Astronomer Derrick Pitts take us through a timeless continuum of reaching for the skies.

Research

A black-and-white illustration depicts a colossal ancient Assyrian winged bull with the head of a bearded man, known as a Lamassu, standing next to a human figure in traditional Middle Eastern attire holding a spear. The human figure's height reaches the Lamassu's shoulder.

Aug. 30, 2024

By W.B. Hafford

The Case of the Disappearing Lion-Men

Archaeologist W.B. Hafford shares how the team encountered and solved an archaeological mystery during recent excavations at the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud.

Fieldwork