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Notice for Collections Content
These records describe cultural and historical items that may be culturally sensitive. Records may document human remains or contain names, images, or recordings of deceased individuals. Records might include language that is outdated, offensive, or incorrect. These are based on past collecting practices and interpretations and may not reflect current views and values of the Penn Museum. See Statements and Policies for more information and updated practices.
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Great Revolutionaries
2021-2022 Lecture Series
Throughout history, there have been outstanding leaders and change-makers that have guided societies through times of great difficulty and triumph. Explore the stories behind a diverse mix of revolutionaries who brought dramatic change to their societies from ancient times to today.
Watch Series
Hokkaido, Japan
In 1901, Hiram M. Hiller Jr. traveled to the northernmost island of Japan, Hokkaido, on behalf of the Penn Museum. The expedition produced over 250 artifacts as well as three journals of notes and numerous lantern slides, providing the Penn Museum with one of the best-documented Ainu collections in the US. Hiller also collected a small sample of pottery from the ancient Jomon culture which dates as far as back 12,000 BCE, some of the oldest known in the world.
Borneo
The island of Borneo sits off the coast of Southeast Asia and is divided among the countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, and tiny Brunei. Between 1896 and 1898, several collecting expeditions to Borneo were undertaken. They spent six months in Sarawak, traveling upriver to Dayak longhouses, they undertook an expedition to Dutch West Borneo, spending several months on the Kapuas River, and then they visited the Mahakam River in Dutch East Borneo.