Massive New Archaeological Collections Database Released for Scholars and Public

Penn Museum releases extraordinary archaeological database with exquisitely detailed images for scholarly study and public examination


For 125 years, the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology has been connected to some of the greatest archaeological excavations known to history, sending more than 400 archaeological and anthropological expeditions to every inhabited continent of the world. At its official founding on December 6, 1887, the University Trustees resolved to send “an exploring expedition to Babylonia”, with a provision to establish “suitable accommodations” for the artifacts recovered, including those of subsequent expeditions. Since then, Museum collections have grown to about one million artifacts from six continents and every millennium of human history.

Now, the Penn Museum celebrates its 125th anniversary year by placing an arguably incomparable collection of ancient artifacts online for the world to see. The Penn Museum Online Collections Database is designed as a utility for scholars to obtain preliminary information on artifacts for research purposes, for teachers and students to explore a region’s cultural materials, and for any person who wishes to electronically organize and file their own set of favorite “finds” and share them with others.

Says Museum Director Richard Hodges, “The Museum was conceived as a public institution with a solid research and collection focus, and it seems only fitting that we should time our public launch of the Museum’s artifact database on this major anniversary year.”

“In developing the online database, we decided to let the scholars and the public see the records as we have them today—rather than wait, what could be many years, to research and confirm all information collectedover the decades,” explained Dr. James Mathieu, Chief of Staff and Head of Collections. “What we have online today is a virtual look, really, not only at our collections, but our collections history. 2012 is a great year to invite our constituents—international scholars, students, and the general public—to delve into the Penn Museum’s collections, for inspiration, personal discovery, and to join us in the ongoing research about our shared human heritage.”

Currently containing more than 326,000 object records representing 660,000 objects, and 51,500 images illustrating 24,500 object records, the new database permits users to search it in multiple ways, such as by keyword, curatorial section, type of material, and display status. Highlights from the Collection are featured, as are several cross-cultural thematic collections, including Egyptian Afterlife, Hair & Makeup, Feathers, and Animals.

What makes all of this possible is a customized version of KE Software’s EMu (electronic museum) collections management system which the Penn Museum began using in November, 2010. The EMu database system and the online Collections site were funded by grants from the Philadelphia Cultural Management Initiative and the William Penn Foundation, as well as support from the Kowalski Family Fund for Digital Initiatives and A. Bruce and Margaret Mainwaring.

Interested individuals may view the database online by going to http://www.penn.museum/collections/.



Roman marble statue of male head. Dating ca. time of Julius Ceaser's death, but not portrait of him. Found in Italy. Minturnae (Italy) Expedition, 1931. Courtesy Penn Museum




Chinese tomb sulpture of horse, bas relief. After consolidating the Tang Empire, Emperor Taizong ordered six large stone panels to be carved with the portraits of his favorite horses. These were the horses he had ridden in overcoming his rivals and securing the borders of the country. From the laudatory poem he composed for each horse, we believe we can identify the two in our collection. The relief shown here depicts "Autumn Dew," also known as "Whirlwind Victory." Historical records say he was ridden in battle by the emperor during a great siege, when, after being stuck with an arrow, the emperor was forced to dismount and switch horses with his general, Qiu Xinggong. The general is shown here pulling the arrow out of Autumn Dew's chest while the horse stoically bears the pain. The six horse reliefs were placed outside Taizong's tomb on an altar meant for memorial ceremonies. They stood there for over a thousand years worshipped by imperial and common people alike. Like their master, the horses had become divine in the minds of the Chinese people. They continue to hold a special place in their hearts to this day. Purchased from C. T. Loo; Subscription of Eldridge R. Johnson. Image and text Penn Museum.


Acheulian hand axe, found in England. Gift of Worthington G. Smith. Courtesy Penn Museum





Maya vase, Guatemala, 8th century BCE. Gift of Thomas D. M. Cardeza. Courtesy Penn Museum



Twelve-ton, red granite Sphinx of Ramesses II, (19th Dynasty, circa 1293-1185 BCE). It was excavated from the sacred enclosure of the temple of the god Ptah at Memphis, Egypt. The sphinx, a lion with a human head, represents the power of the Egyptian king, both to protect his people and to conquer the enemies of Egypt. This statue was buried up to its shoulders; only the exposed head was attacked by windblown sand, which eroded the facial features and the royal false beard. The inscriptions on the chest and around the base give the five names of Ramesses II. His son and successor, Merenptah, added his own cartouches to the shoulders after his father's death. This sphinx, the third largest known in the world was quarried at Aswan and transported by river to the Ptah Temple at Memphis, 600 miles away.

http://popular-archaeology.com/issue/december-2011/article/massive-new-archaeological-collections-database-released-for-scholars-and-public