Penn Museum | Penn Today

A threat to Iran’s rich cultural heritage

Brian Daniels and Richard Leventhal of the Museum were among the signers of a letter about the administration’s threats of retaliation against Iran by striking cultural sites. “If carried out, this threat would constitute a war crime under international instruments such as the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, which the United States has joined,” they and others wrote.

Man in a suit pointing to a glass box containing artifacts

Contemporary art enhances Penn Museum’s Africa Galleries

New installations showcase the diversity and artistry of modern culture in dialogue with historic artifacts.

group of students working on laptops around a table

An Inca ceremonial center, recreated in a digital landscape

Students use computer graphic technologies to bring historic sites to life as part of a summer research program and fall semester course that unites anthropology and computer science.

After ‘long-term extended loan,’ Penn Museum sends ancient Iraqi artifacts home

The Penn Museum is bringing 3 boxes of ancient artifacts to the Iraq embassy in Washington, D.C. to be returned to their country of origin. “All the tablets were shipped out to be studied because no one in Iraq at the time could read them,” said the Museum’s Brad Hafford.

sphinx in the archway of the museum entrance

Penn Museum’s transformation revealed

The main level reopens after a historic renovation featuring the relocated sphinx and completely reimagined Africa and Mexico/Central America galleries.

Penn Museum redesign aims beyond academics

Julian Siggers of the Penn Museum spoke about the galleries’ reopening. “The collection is too good for it not to be a public museum,” he said. “This is the first time when you will really be able to see how we’ve opened this museum up, deliberately targeting it for public engagement.”

The new Penn Museum: Thousands of years in the making

The Penn Museum’s re-opening celebration takes place this weekend. “What this museum does is tell the story of who we are and where we came from,” said director Julian Siggers. “And we designed our galleries with, very much, that in mind.”

Ancient Greek settlement with purple-producing shells and carved fish tanks discovered on tiny island

The Penn Museum has confirmed research that identifies Minoan-era Crete as the production site of a variety of vibrant dyes, including red, purple, and yellow.

Students examine Queen Puabi's Haddress through glass case

Five events to watch for in November

On the calendar for November around campus: an art party at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Penn Museum's annual Student Gala, and much more.

people gathered around surveying iraqi destruction

A quest to restore cultural heritage in Iraq, one site at a time

Penn archaeologists, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Mosul and Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, seek to undo the terrible destruction ISIS wrought, particularly on targeted minority groups.

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