It is a pity that many UPenn students never visit the “jewel of the crown” in the Penn campus: our fa-bu-lous Museum or Anthropology and Archaeology. Did you know that the oldest literature work in the history of humanity –the Mesopotamian legend of Gilgamesh, written in cuneiform script on clay tablets– is preserved there? Have you ever seen the astonishing mortuary jewels of Sumerian queen and priestess Puabi of Ur (c. 2,600 BCE)? Don’t you feel curious about the cat mummies that ancient Egyptians made to preserve their beloved pets once they had passed away? Would you like to learn more about the Aztecs’ ritual ball game, the decipherment of the Mayan glyphs, or the Inca messaging system using just a set of strings and codified knots? Are you curious about old Greece and Rome? Fascinated by ancient Asian art, African cultures, or native American peoples?

Come with us to the Penn Museum this Sunday, March 19 from 11 AM to 12 PM for an engaging guided tour through several of their signature galleries and their collection's masterpieces, and let's discover how archaeologists use them to understand the past! If the weather allows, we can also enjoy their beautiful gardens. (Their cherry blossoms will soon be in full bloom and breathtakingly gorgeous). Make sure to bring your Penncard: entrance is free for faculty, staff, and students! ? To have enough time to grab coffee and a snack (our treat! ?), we will be leaving from KCECH's main door at 10:30 AM. RSVP appreciated! (at lleon@upenn.edu).