The Middle East Galleries, opening on April 21, 2018, celebrate the Penn Museum’s long history of excavation and research in Iraq and Iran. This special commemorative issue of Expedition includes essays by curators and staff who were involved in the development of the first of our new signature galleries. We begin with “The Thrill of Discovery,” an extensive overview of the Penn Museum in the Middle East, from the first discussions of exploration in Mesopotamia in 1883 to the expedition to Nippur in 1889 to all the excavations at 40 different sites that followed. The Museum, founded to house the objects brought home from that very first journey to Nippur, continues to support research and the preservation of sites throughout this region.
A dozen different articles cover topics as diverse as the development of agriculture, the uses of early writing, everyday life in ancient Mesopotamia, the splendor of some of the most notable discoveries, the importance of trade and the interaction of communities, an Iron Age city frozen in time, and cities of the Islamic and Persianate world. Shorter articles cover globalization, nomads, conservation of objects that became part of the Galleries, and how the Museum will educate students and visitors about the Middle East.
This issue of Expedition would not have been possible without the contributions of the authors as well as Museum staff who helped greatly with the production of the magazine. Special thanks go to Matt Todd, Kristen Pearson, Page Selinsky, Alyssa Connell, Laura Iwanyk, Alessandro Pezzati, Eric Schnittke, and Tom Stanley.
It is fitting that this special issue appears as Expedition enters its 60th year of publication. If you would like to know more about any of the sites you read about here, check out our rich online library of Expedition articles at www.penn.museum/sites/expedition.
Jane Hickman, PH.D.
Editor
Steve Tinney, PH.D.
Coordinating Curator,
Middle East Galleries