CAAM

Center for the Analysis of Archaeological Materials

  • A student scanning an object in the Egypt Gallery.
  • A student using a microscope in the lab.
  • A teaching specialist demonstrating analysis techniques to a student.
  • Photo of a slide under a microscope.
  • Students doing field work.

A Decade of Innovation in Research & Teaching Archaeological Science

CAAM offers laboratory and classroom facilities, materials, equipment, and expert personnel to teach and mentor Penn students in a range of scientific techniques crucial to archaeologists and other scholars as they seek to interpret the past in an interdisciplinary context that links the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities.

CAAM is a joint endeavor between the Penn Museum and the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Arts and Sciences (SAS).

Current Courses

Excavators working in the field.

Our Research

Zooarchaeology Lab.

Laboratories

Latest from CAAM

Stay up to date on our cutting-edge research, academic opportunities, and upcoming events.
Instagram: @CAAMAtPenn
Twitter: @CAAMAtPenn

Contact Us: caam@pennmuseum.org

Register for Fall CAAM Classes!

It’s not too late to register for Fall courses in CAAM.

FOOD AND FIRE: ARCHAEOLOGY IN THE LABORATORY (Undergrad) – explore the essential heritage of human technology through archaeology

MATERIAL WORLD IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE (Undergrad/grad level) – explore processes of creation in the past through the scientific analysis of inorganic archaeological materials

INTRODUCTON TO DIGITAL ARCHAEOLOGY (Undergrad/grad level) – explore a broad spectrum of digital approaches in archaeology with an emphasis on fieldwork

PLANTS AND SOCIETY (Grad level) – introduction to the diverse ways in which humans interact with plants presented through ethnographic, historical, and archaeological information

See course catalogue for more information

Current and Upcoming Events

Ancient Food & Flavor

Last chance to experience the flavors of the past!

Unwrap prehistoric leftovers to learn about what ancient communities were growing, eating, and drinking. Curated by CAAM faculty Chantel White and Katherine Moore.

Now through October

Further information

Spotlight Gallery – Clues Left in Bronze

This fall the museum’s spotlight gallery features unique copper alloy objects from the site of Ur in Mesopotamia. The corrosion left on these archaeological metals preserves small remnants of organic materials. We call these remnants pseudomorphs, or ghost structures, that reveal details about organic archaeological objects that are otherwise invisible because of decay. Here we find pieces of woven textiles, reed floor mats, and animal hide sheaths. Curated by CAAM faculty Vanessa Workman.

Click for a detailed look at these amazing structures