ASEF-PSOM Outing

ASEF-PSOM February event held at the University of Pennsylvania

Museum of Anthropology and Archeology

A group of Penn faculty and guests gathered at the University Museum on Feb. 19th for an afternoon program organized by ASEF-PSOM. We were first treated to a 90 minute lecture entitled "CSI: Ancient Egypt, Solving Deaths on the Nile" by Steven R. Phillips, Ph.D., an Emeritus Professor of Physical Anthropology and Curatorial Research Coordinator of the Museum's Egyptian Section. In this well-illustrated and fascinating presentation, Dr. Phillips introduced us to some basic principles of physical anthropology, demonstrating characteristics of the skull and bony skeleton that indicate the subject's likely gender, approximate age, and evidence of illness or trauma. These studies have been greatly advanced by radiological enhancements and are applicable in both archeological and forensic investigations. He briefly discussed the work at a Tennessee site, in which he had participated, where the decomposition patterns of human remains are examined using cadavers willed for scientific study. The second part of the talk was focused on Tutankhamun, the boy king whose tomb engendered such excitement when it was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. A popular theory - as murders always are - advanced in the 70's was that young King Tut had been killed by a blow to the head. However, closer skeletal examination suggested the damage noted at the base of the skull was likely caused by recovery from the tomb. The most probable cause of death could be ascribed to several factors: first, he had suffered from malaria, second, he had congenital deformations in one foot and difficulty in walking (as attested to by 20+ walking sticks in the tomb), and third, there was evidence of an unhealed leg fracture which could have led to sepsis. Taken together, these observations point to death by a less surreptitious set of circumstances than criminologists had envisioned.

Following the lecture, a graduate student in the Egyptology program led us on a tour of some of the Egyptian artifacts and provided historical and compelling background of the pieces. We also visited the laboratory where specimens including mummies (found in the museum basement!) were being analyzed. At our final stop, we gathered at the signature attraction of the museum collection, the 3,200 year-old massive granite sphinx of the Pharaoh Ramesses the Great that arrived here intact in 1913. Penn has amassed over 40,000 Egyptian artifacts and been fortunate in not experiencing the need to repatriate the treasures through permission obtained in their acquisition and in continuing personal relationships with influential Egyptians. Visit the Museum at no charge with your Penn ID card and learn, as we did, about ancient history!