Preserving Assyria
East Merle-Smith Gallery on the Lower Level
Included with Museum Admission
Opens Feb. 8, 2025
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Open today 10 am – 5 pm
East Merle-Smith Gallery on the Lower Level
Included with Museum Admission
Preserving Assyria highlights archaeology’s vital role in protecting cultural heritage from targeted destruction through community-led excavation.
Assyria was one of the world’s first empires with profound influence on Iraq’s cultural identity. This exhibition showcases how Iraqi archaeologists, with support from Penn archaeologists and international partners, are reclaiming and protecting their heritage during and after conflict.
Centered on the recently excavated Mashki Gate in Nineveh, Iraq—a monumental Assyrian site destroyed by the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in 2016—the exhibition highlights this collaborative restoration effort. Intricate 3D replicas of Assyrian reliefs are on view alongside artifacts from the Penn Museum’s Near East collections to illuminate the rich legacy of Mesopotamia. Photographs and video from the field offer day-in-the-life glimpses of archaeology’s role not only in unearthing groundbreaking discoveries but also reconstructing damaged sites to preserve cultural heritage.
The exhibition is curated by Dr. Michael Danti, Program Director, and Dr. Richard L. Zettler, Director Emeritus, of the Iraq Heritage Stabilization Program.