Welcome to another issue of Expedition. In the following pages you will read about the western highlands of Guatemala and the north coast of Peru, where recent archaeological work conducted by Penn-trained anthropologists is casting light on little-known regions in both the Maya and Andean worlds. We will also take you to Europe to explore the impressive remains of the Roman Empire’s northern frontier—the German Limes and Hadrian’s Wall in Britain. As a special feature, this issue poses the question: “What was there before the Museum?” Using the new construction in the upper courtyard as a launch pad, archival research paints a fascinating picture of late 19th century life at the corner of 34th and South Streets.
This issue will also introduce you to the Curator of the Asian Section and the Museum’s “Anthropologists in the Making” summer program. From the Archives, you will learn about the Museum’s connection to that famous canine icon known as “His Master’s Voice,” and the Museum’s Librarian and his wife introduce their new research focus on the descendants of African-American émigrés to the Dominican Republic. This issue concludes with an interview of the author of a popular new book on bio-warfare in ancient times.
This issue of Expedition announces the launch of our new website: http://penn.museum/expedition-magazine.html. Totally re-designed for ease of access, readers can download subscription order forms and explore back issues of the magazine. Many past articles are now available to download and more will be in the future. Prospective authors can also download our Writer’s Guidelines. As always, we welcome feedback and hope you find this issue, and now our website, worthy of sharing with your friends and family.