Egyptian Kneeling Statue [Object of the Day #36]
By: Alyssa Kaminski
This Egyptian kneeling statue was created around 1351 BCE. The statue is made of bronze gilded with gold. With his arms missing, this king sits kneeling, wearing a nemes headdress. His broad hips and elongated facial features indicate that he was made in the latter part of the Amarna Period. There are traces of the […]
Suburban Development Threatens Archaeological Site in Gordion, Turkey
By: Naomi Miller
The Penn Museum project at Gordion has been working to preserve the site and over 100 related burial mounds (“tumuli”) that constitute an amazing historical landscape. Agricultural and suburban development are destroying the rural character of the region at a rapid rate, and an immediate threat to the archaeological remains is caused by plowing and irrigating of many […]
2012 London Olympics: Nike Then and Now
By: Ashley Harper
What do the Olympic games from circa 405 BC have in common with London’s in 2012? A key may be in the representation of Victory. Read what two representations of Victory reveal about our understanding of the Olympics.
Guardian Figure from French Gabon [Object of the Day #35]
By: Amy Ellsworth
This figure from Gabon is made of wood covered with metal sheets represents a human face and would serve as a reliquary guardian figure. Read more about the depiction of European people in Yoruba sculpture in Expedition magazine article The Pink People by David Crownover. Penn Museum Object #29-12-236. View this object and more like it […]
Mandan War Shirt [Object of the Day #34]
By: Alyssa Kaminski
This early 19th century war shirt was made by the Mandan people of North Dakota. The shirt is made up of a variety of animals including deer, porcupine, horse and human. The bulk of the shirt comes from buckskin that is then decorated with leather fringe, beading, porcupine quills, horse and human hair. While this […]
Lenape Powder Charger [Object of the Day #33]
By: Alyssa Kaminski
This Lenape Powder Charger is carved from an antler. The bottom is formed into a rattlesnake tail while the top depicts Misinghali’kun, the hunting god. The Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania is a community of more than 300 people of Lenape descent who live mainly in southeastern Pennsylvania, primarily around Easton, Philadelphia and the Pocono Mountains. Unlike […]