Penn Museum Advance Calendar of Events November/December 2015

For the most updated information on programs offered at the Penn Museum, and for online pre-registration (optional or required for some programs) visit the Museum’s Events Calendar.

Events Calendar

Wednesday, November 4, 6:00 pm
Great Myths and Legends Lecture Series

Adapa the Sage: Flood, Myth, and Magic in early Mesopotamia

Thousands of years ago, scholar-priests in ancient Sumer told a tale about a man who lived long before them, a tale of Adapa, who was so clever that his magic could disable the winds, and who travelled to heaven to meet the gods. Recently published cuneiform tablets written in ancient Sumerian shed new light on Adapa, starting with an evocation of the time just after the Great Flood had passed over. Dr. Steve Tinney, Associate Curator, Babylonian Section and Director of the Pennsylvania Sumerian Dictionary Project, weaves together several stories: of the new discoveries and their decipherment; of Adapa himself; and of the ancient guardians of this strange and magical tradition whose writings have survived almost four thousand years. Advance tickets: $5, general admission; $2, Penn Museum members; $10 for all at the door based on availability. www.penn.museum/calendar

Friday, November 6, 5:30 pm
Sleepover Program

40 Winks with the Sphinx

Penn Museum's popular sleepover program, geared to ages 6–12 and their families or chaperones, invites guests to an overnight "expedition" of the Museum. The night's activities take intrepid explorers on a journey through time and across continents, with hands-on games, crafts, and more! A scavenger hunt and a flashlight expedition through the galleries offer new ways to connect with the ancient artifacts awaiting discovery. Later in the night, explorers roll out their sleeping bags to doze at the foot of the largest granite Sphinx in the Western Hemisphere! The program concludes Saturday at 9:00 am. To register or for more information, visit www.penn.museum/40winks

Saturday, November 7, 10:30 - 11:15 am

Gallery Romp: Native America

Young children (ages 3–6) and their favorite grownups are invited to explore the Penn Museum's galleries through stories, crafts, and play. Kids can take a journey to the Pacific Northwest coast where they meet a clever raven. After the workshop, there is time to socialize with other families and enjoy kid-friendly snacks. Each workshop is limited to 25 people and advance registration is encouraged; to register, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Free with Museum admission.

Sunday, November 8, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Second Sunday Family Workshops: Destination¬—Native America

Basket Weaving

It’s Native American Heritage month. Explore the many kinds of vessels designed to hold many kinds of things in the Native American Voices exhibition on a guided family tour, before fashioning a basket to take home. Attendees may drop in anytime between 1:00 and 4:00 pm. Family tours are conducted at 1:00 and 3:00 pm. All activities are free with regular Museum admission.

Sunday, November 8, 2:00 pm
Second Sunday Culture Films: Gender Across Cultures

A Quiet Inquisition (2013)

In a medical clinic in Managua, a doctor contends with professional implications of patient care and her personal convictions regarding a new Nicaraguan law banning all abortions for any reason. Two Penn scholars whose research interests include Latin America, Anthropology/Annenberg scholar Tali Ziv, and History and Sociology of Science scholar Rosanna Dent, serve as the screening’s facilitators. Audience members are invited to stay for a discussion with the film’s directors, Holen Sabrina Kahn and Alessandra Zeka. Presented by the Latin American and Latino Studies Program; the Trustees’ Council of Penn Women; Penn Cinema Studies; the Penn Humanities Forum; the Alice Paul Center for Research on Women, Gender and Sexuality, and the Penn Museum Library. Free with Museum admission.

Sunday, November 8, 2:00 - 3:00 pm
Centennial Lecture Program

Celebrating an Architectural Masterpiece: The 100th Anniversary of the Harrison Rotunda at the Penn Museum

One of the grandest domes in the country, the Penn Museum’s Harrison Rotunda, completed in 1915 and long home to an internationally renowned collection of Chinese art, soars an impressive 90 feet high. Dr. David Brownlee, Shapiro-Weitzenhoffer Professor of the History of Art, shares his insights into the historical architectural significance of the rotunda and the auditorium that rests directly below. Alessandro Pezzati, Senior Archivist, shares stories about the construction and opening of these iconic spaces. Free with Museum admission.

Tuesday, November 10. 6:00 pm
Evening Lecture

Douglas G. Lovell, Jr. Reports from the Field

Learn about the most recent field seasons from two Penn Museum scholars. Dr. Joanne Baron discusses her project, “Mapping La Florida Maya Site, Guatemala,” which focuses on the site of an ancient Maya city known as Namaan. Dr. Richard Zettler, Associate Curator-in-Charge, Near East Section, speaks about the Rowanduz Archaeological Program based in Iraqi Kurdistan. Free admission.

Thursday, November 12, 4:00 pm
Afternoon Lecture

Reconciliation and its Discontents

Dr. Audra Simpson, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Columbia University, Kahnawake Mohawk author of Mohawk Interruptus: Political Life Across the Borders of Settler States (Duke University Press, 2014), speaks about the Canadian government’s program of “reconciliation” with indigenous peoples. The talk, offered in conjunction with the Native American Voices: The People—Here and Now exhibition, is cosponsored by the Penn Cultural Heritage Center, the Departments of Anthropology and History, and the Greenfield Intercultural Center (Natives at Penn). Free with Museum admission.

Thursday, November 12, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Happy Hour

Mummies and Martinis

Visitors can enjoy happy hour with friends—and a martini special, if they like—in the Egypt (Mummies) Gallery. Admission: $9 per person includes one free drink for guests 21 and over.

Friday, November 13, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Saturday, November 14, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Annual Forensic Science Fall Forum

Join leading experts as they present talks on a diverse range of forensic science topics including: firearms and toolmarks, digital forensics, wildlife forensics, forensic linguistics, forensic anthropology, and death investigation. Friday, 8:45 am, Dr. Janet Monge, Keeper and Associate Curator-in-Charge, Physical Anthropology Section, offers the keynote address, “The Role of Anthropology in Forensic Science: The Search for Race and Identity,” considering forensic science research as it pertains to Morton Collection of Crania housed at the Penn Museum. The two-day program is presented by the Center for Forensic Science Research & Education. The goal of the Forum is to educate students, faculty, and the interested public about the changing field of forensic science, and to facilitate interaction between the academic and professional communities. Funding for the Forum is provided by the Fredric Rieders Family Foundation. Admission is free with advanced registration: http://forensicscienceeducation.org/

Saturday, November 14, 3:30 pm
Afternoon Lecture

Merikare Khety—the Sixth King of the Heracleopolitan Royal House

Arkadiy Demidchik, Professor of General History, National Research Novosibirsk State University (Russia), speaks in this lecture, presented by the American Research Center in Egypt—Pennsylvania Chapter. Admission: $10; $7, Penn Museum members and PennCard holders; $5, students with ID; free for ARCE-PA members and children under 12.

Wednesday, November 18, 6:00 pm
P.M. @ Penn Museum

Famous Queens of the Penn Museum

At this P.M. @ Penn Museum evening event, guests are invited to celebrate some of the powerful queens who have lived through the ages—women like Egypt’s Cleopatra and the Mesopotamian Queen Puabi—with a special focus on a queen’s oft-abundant and at times over-indulgent lifestyle. The evening concludes on a more contemporary note, with a drag queen show. Cash bar. $20, general admission; $15, Penn Museum members; includes one complimentary beverage. Guests must be 21 or older.

Wednesday, December 2, 6:00 pm
Great Myths and Legends Lecture Series
Elizabeth Watts and Howard C. Petersen Lecture

Genghis Khan: Barbarian Conqueror or Harbinger of Democracy?

The world has generally viewed Genghis Khan as a barbaric conqueror whose troops raped and murdered hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people and pillaged and often destroyed villages, towns, and cities throughout Asia and Europe. However, several popular writers have recently portrayed him as an advocate of democracy, international law, and women's rights. Dr. Morris Rossabi, Senior Research Scholar, Queens College, Columbia University, offers this illustrated lecture, which seeks to provide a balanced depiction of Genghis Khan and to explain the reasons for the myths that have developed about the man and the Mongolian people who established the largest contiguous land empire in world history. Advance tickets: $5, general admission; $2, Penn Museum members; $10 for all at the door based on availability. www.penn.museum/calendar

Thursday, December 3, 12:30 pm
Brown Bag Lunchtime Lecture

Archiving Protest in the Era of #BlackLivesMatter

Dr. Nicole Ivy, a Museum Futurist at the American Alliance of Museums’ Center for the Future of Museums and a Public Fellow at the American Council of Learned Societies, speaks. In an interview with Soterios Johnson of WNYC, journalist Deborah Solomon maintained that the best art of 2014 was protest art. The demonstrations of #BlackLivesMatter protestors around the nation have produced a collection of cultural objects—including visual and plastic art, performance pieces, and new media work—that speak to spectators’ and victims’ experiences. The programmatic strategies modeled by the movement also illustrate new possibilities for the work of heritage preservation, including digital curation and community-driven archival practice. Presented by the Penn Cultural Heritage Center. Free with Museum admission.

Saturday, December 5, 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Free Family Holiday Celebration

Peace around the World

The Penn Museum’s annual holiday celebration offers guests an international way to kick off the holiday season. Visitors receive a "Passport to Cultures," offering "itineraries" to visit countries and cultures around the world. The lively day features holiday choirs, dance, storytelling, sari-wrapping, Middle Eastern drumming workshops, face painting and balloon art for children, international family crafts promoting peace and unity, plus free treats for children! Free admission.

Saturday, December 12, 3:30 pm
Afternoon Lecture

Visual Aspects of Middle Kingdom Stelae

Dr. Kei Yamamoto, Lila Acheson Wallace Research Associate, Metropolitan Museum of Art, speaks in this lecture, presented by the American Research Center in Egypt—Pennsylvania Chapter. Admission: $10; $7, Penn Museum members and PennCard holders; $5, students with ID; free for ARCE-PA members and children under 12.

Sunday, December 13, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Second Sunday Family Workshops: Destination—Greece

Classic Coins

Families are invited to discover ancient coins from the Mediterranean. Working with foam and metallic markers to etch a replica coin to take home. Guests can also visit the Greek Gallery to see an impressive collection of real ancient coins on a family tour. Attendees may drop in anytime between 1:00 and 4:00 pm. Family tours are conducted at 1:00 and 3:00 pm. All activities are free with regular Museum admission.

Sunday, December 13, 2:00 pm
Second Sunday Culture Films: Gender Across Cultures

Mardistan (Macholand) (2014)

Notions of Indian masculinity are explored through several perspectives that cut across generations and social backgrounds in the Punjab region of India, providing a nuanced understanding from an insider point of view. A conversation with the award-winning filmmaker, Dr. Harjant Gill, and Dr. Amardeep Singh of Lehigh University, follows the screening. Presented by the South Asia Center, Penn Cinema Studies, The Penn Humanities Forum, and the Alice Paul Center for Research on Women, Gender and Sexuality. Free with Museum admission.

Wednesday, December 16, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Homeschool Days

Archaeological Adventures: The Americas

The Penn Museum offers Archaeological Adventures Homeschool Days to help families and groups use the international collection to enhance their homeschool curricula. A flexible format, plus opportunities to interact with conservators and other museum professionals, allows families to design a customized visit to reinforce learning. Archaeological Adventures: The Americas features tours of the Mexico and Central America Gallery and the Native American Voices: The People Here and Now exhibition, along with a story time that highlights Native American themes. Students interact with museum staff in a career chat and learn preservation practices in a hands-on conservation workshop. Admission: $15, students ages 4 and up; FREE, children ages 3 and below. One adult free per family, additional adults pay regular admission. Advanced registration is required. For more information, call 215.746.6774.

Ongoing Offerings and Pop-Up Music in the Galleries

Fridays, 1:30 and 2:00 pm

Unearthed in the Archives

Guests are invite to take a trip through Museum (and world) history in the Penn Museum Archives. Informal weekly chats investigate the many interesting and unusual documents safeguarded in this vast collection. Each week features a new experience, based on expedition records, vintage photographs, manuscripts, personal letters, and much more.

Tuesdays through Fridays, 11:15 - 11:45 am and 2:00 - 2:30 pm
Saturdays and Sundays, 12:30 - 1:00 and 3:30 - 4:00 pm

In the Artifact Lab: Conserving Egyptian Mummies

Lab conservators open the window and are ready to answer questions about their conservation projects—anything from studying, documenting, cleaning, or mending an elegant ancient coffin lid, elaborately wrapped animal and human mummies, or working on other artifacts from the museum's collections.

Saturdays and Sundays, 1:30 pm

Gallery Tours

Penn Museum docents share stories behind the collections, special exhibitions, and cultures presented in the galleries on 45-minute gallery tours that leave from the Kamin Main Entrance desk most weekend afternoons. Topics change. Check the Museum calendar for current schedule: www.penn.museum/events-calendar

Friday, November 20, 12:30 pm
Pop-Up Performance in the Galleries

Penn Flutes “Magical Tales”

Penn Flutes present beautiful themes from Hansel and Gretel followed by an original composition about the exploration of Sudley Castle. Members of Penn Flutes, an all-flute ensemble directed by Michele Kelly, “pop up” for special lunchtime concerts that reverberate in the galleries. Founded in 2000, this large ensemble of Penn students and other members of Philadelphia’s music community presents widely throughout the Philadelphia region, often featuring new works for flute ensembles. Free with Museum admission.

Friday, December 11, 12:30 pm
Pop-Up Performance in the Galleries

Penn Flutes “An English Holiday”

Join us for some traditional holiday music performed by Penn Flutes. An all-flute ensemble directed by Michele Kelly, members of Penn Flutes “pop up” for special lunchtime concerts that reverberate in the galleries. Founded in 2000, this large ensemble of Penn students and other members of Philadelphia’s music community presents widely throughout the Philadelphia region, often featuring new works for flute ensembles. Free with Museum admission.

Images, top to bottom: Young children (ages 3–6) and their favorite grownups are invited to explore the Penn Museum's Native American Voices exhibition through stories, crafts, and play during a Gallery Romp on November 7 (photo: Penn Museum); The Penn Museum’s annual holiday celebration, “Peace around the World,” offers guests an international way to kick off the holiday season, Saturday, December 5 (photo: Penn Museum).

Founded in 1887, the Penn Museum (the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology), 3260 South Street in Philadelphia, is one of the world's great archaeology and anthropology research museums, and the largest university museum in the United States. With nearly one million objects in the collection, the Penn Museum encapsulates and illustrates the human story: who we are and where we came from. A dynamic research institution with many ongoing research projects, the Museum is an engaging place of discovery. The Museum's mandate of research, teaching, collections stewardship, and public engagement are the four "pillars" of the Museum's expansive mission: to transform understanding of the human experience.

The Penn Museum is located at 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (on Penn's campus, across from Franklin Field). Public transportation to the Museum is available via SEPTA's Regional Rail Line at University City Station; the Market-Frankford Subway Line at 34th Street Station; trolley routes 11, 13, 34, and 36; and bus routes 21, 30, 40, and 42. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and first Wednesdays of each month until 8:00 pm, with P.M. @ PENN MUSEUM evening programs offered. Closed Mondays and holidays. Admission donation is $15 for adults; $13 for senior citizens (65 and above); free for U.S. Military; $10 for children and full-time students with ID; free to Members, PennCard holders, and children 5 and younger./p

Hot and cold meals and light refreshments are available for purchase with or without Museum admission in The Pepper Mill Café; the Museum Shop offers a wide selection of gifts, books, games, clothing and jewelry. Penn Museum can be found on the web at www.penn.museum. For general information call 215.898.4000. For group tour information call 215.746.8183.