Guides: Archaeology: Archaeology

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Digital Penn Museum is the portal for the Penn Museum's digital content, including over 379,000 object records representing over 1 million objects in the collections and accompanied by more than 200,000 images.

More information is available through Penn Museum publications, including:

Expedition, the current publication of the Penn Museum. Volumes 1 (1958) - present are available at the Museum Library (call # GN1 .E9), and all but the current issues are available free online.
The University Museum Bulletin. Volumes 1 (1930) - 22 (1958) are available at the Museum Library desk and Van Pelt Library (call # CC21 .P46)
The Museum Journal. All volumes 1 (1910) - 24 (1935) are available at the Museum Library desk and online through the Penn Museum website. Additionally, full text of volumes 1 (1910) - 13 (1922) is available and searchable through the HathiTrust.
The Bulletin of the then-named Free Museum of Science and Art. Volumes 1 (1897) - 3 (1901-1902) are available online through the HathiTrust, as well at the Museum Library desk and in the Van Pelt Library (call # CC91 .P39).

The subdivisions of this guide are based on the curatorial sections of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology. Therefore, sections specifically for Egyptian and Near Eastern archaeology are organized separately from the sections for archaeology in Africa and Asia. Information on prehistoric Aegean, Etruscan, Greek, and Roman archaeology is found in the section for "Mediterranean."

Find an introduction to a topic

Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology by Claire Smith (Editor-In-Chief) Archaeology - the study of human cultures through the analysis and interpretation of artefacts and material remains - continues to captivate and engage people on a local and global level. Internationally celebrated heritage sites such as the pyramids--both Egyptian and Mayan--Lascaux caves, and the statues of Easter Island provide insights into our ancestors and their actions and motivation. But there is much more to archaeology than famous sites. Ask any archaeologist about their job and they will touch on archaeological theory, chemistry, geology, history, classical studies, museum studies, ethical practice, and survey methods, along with the analysis and interpretation of artefacts and sites. Archaeology is a much broader subject than its public image and branches into many other fields in the social and physical sciences. This multi-volume work provides a comprehensive and systematic coverage of archaeology that is unprecedented, not only in terms of the use of multi-media, but also in terms of content. It encompasses the breadth of the subject along with key aspects that are tapped from other disciplines. It includes all time periods and regions of the world and all stages of human development.  Mostly importantly, this encyclopedia includes the knowledge of leading scholars from around the world.  The entries in this encyclopedia range from succinct summaries of specific sites and the scientific aspects of archaeological enquiry to detailed discussions of archaeological concepts, theories and methods, and from investigations into the social, ethical and political dimensions of archaeological practice to biographies of leading archaeologists from throughout the world. The different forms of archaeology are explored, along with the techniques used for each and the challenges, concerns and issues that face archaeologists today. The Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology has two outstanding innovations.  The first is that scholars were able to submit entries in their own language. Over 300,000 words have been translated from French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Japanese, Turkish and Russian. Many of these entries are by scholars who are publishing in English for the first time. This compendium is both a print reference and an online reference work. The encyclopedia's second major innovation is that it harnesses the capabilities of an online environment, enhancing both the presentation and dissemination of information. Most particularly, the continuous updating allowed by an online environment should ensure that the Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology is a definitive reference work for archaeology and archaeologists.
ISBN: 9781441904669
Publication Date: 2014
Oxford Companion to Archaeology by Neil Asher Silberman et al., eds.
Publication Date: 2012
The Oxford Handbook of Archaeological Theory by Andrew Gardner, Mark Lake, and Ulrike Sommer, eds.
ISBN: 9780199567942
Publication Date: 2013
The Oxford Handbook of Archaeology by Barry W. Cunliffe (Editor); Chris Gosden (Editor); Rosemary A. Joyce (Editor) Archaeology is a vast subject - it is the study of human society everywhere in the world, from distant human origins 3-4 million years ago up to the present day. The Oxford Handbook of Archaeology brings together 35 authors - all specialists in their own fields - to explain what archaeologyis really about. This is one of the most comprehensive treatments of the subject and of the key debates ever attempted. It is designed to open up the world of archaeology to non-specialists and to provide an essential starting point for those who want to pursue particular topics in more depth.
Call Number: University Museum Library - Reference. CC165 .O94 2009
ISBN: 9780199271016
Publication Date: 2009

Searching in Franklin Catalog

Franklin: Catalog & Articles+ searches both Franklin: Catalog for materials held by Penn Libraries and Franklin: Articles+ for content in many bibliographic databases and full-text resources.

Searching by names of ancient sites or cultures can be tricky. If variant names or spellings are known, researchers are encouraged to try the ancient and modern names in what is most commonly used in English as well as in the vernacular. Examples:

Constantinople and Istanbul
Thebes (Egypt) and Luxor
Nysa-Scythopolis, Baysan, Bisan, Beit She'an, and Bet She'an (Israel) - the last option is the standard Library of Congress subject heading that should appear in all Franklin Catalog records for books specifically about the site, but the other spellings and names would be useful in subject databases and full-text resources.
Inca and Inka
Accadian and Akkadian

Because the Franklin Catalog uses standard Library of Congress subject headings in records, searches by Subject Heading Browse or Subject Heading Keyword formulated as follows may be useful:

[name of modern city, country, region, or cultural group] -- Antiquities
- Examples: Rome (Italy) -- Antiquities; India -- Antiquities; Middle East -- Antiquities; Incas -- Antiquities
Excavations (Archaeology) -- [name of region, country, or state] -- [sometimes additional subdivisions]
- Examples: Excavations (Archaeology) -- Africa, Southern -- Shashi-Limpopo Valley; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Pennsylvania -- Valley Forge National Park

Selected resources for archaeology worldwide

For resources and databases for specific cultures and regions, use the menu on the left to find the appropriate section of this Guide.

Abstracts in Anthropology
Indexes journals in cultural and physical anthropology, as well as linguistics and archaeology.
Anthropology PLUS
Combines Anthropological Literature (based at Harvard University) and Anthropological Index (from Royal Anthropological Institute of the UK) into one database that provides worldwide indexing of most anthropological journals from the early 19th century to present.
ACCESS NOTE: 5 users. Combines Anthropological Literature from Harvard University and Anthropological Index from the Royal Anthropological Institute of the UK. Offers worldwide indexing of all core periodicals, in addition to lesser known journals, from the early 19th century to today. Broad geographical coverage emphasizes the Commonwealth and Africa and extends to Eastern Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australasia, and the Pacific. Covers fields of social, cultural, physical, biological and linguistic anthropology, ethnology, archaeology, folklore, material culture and interdisciplinary studies.
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
Covers architecture, architectural design, archeology, furniture and decoration, historic preservation, the history of architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, urban planning.
Bibliography of the History of Art
Covers European and American art from the fourth century to the present. Areas addressed are painting, sculpture, drawings, prints, decorative and applied arts, architecture and industrial design, and popular and folk art. Abstracts in English or French.
eHRAF Archaeology
Modeled after eHRAF World Culture, the Collection of Archaeology provides access to archaeological materials for comparative studies. Includes general and topical descriptions for approximately 350 major prehistoric traditions of the world, entries on approximately 1500 regional subtraditions, and entries on approximately 2000 archaeological sites.
Modeled after HRAFs Collection of Ethnography, the Collection of Archaeology provides access to archaeological materials for comparative studies. Includes general and topical descriptions for approximately 350 major prehistoric traditions of the world, entries on approximately 1500 regional subtraditions; and entries on approximately 2000 archaeological sites. Twenty interactive maps can be queried or present data on more than 50 variables. WWW format allows rapid searching by culture, site, topic, or word.

Librarian

Deb Stewart

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Contact:

Deb Brown Stewart
Head, Museum Library
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology
3260 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

215 898-4021

Subjects: Anthropology & Archaeology

The Museum Library

Penn Museum respectfully acknowledges that it is situated on Lenapehoking, the ancestral and spiritual homeland of the Unami Lenape.

The Museum Library, located in the Academic Wing of the Penn Museum, is the University of Pennsylvania's branch library for anthropology and archaeology. With over 145,000 volumes on-site with historic strengths in biological and physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, archaeology worldwide, and Native American studies, it is one of the premier branch libraries for anthropology in the United States.

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