Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar (Prof. Scott)
Faculty Advisor: Monique Scott
Field Site: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Field Supervisor: Katy Blanchard
Fieldwork Description:
As the final component of my Museum Studies minor, I worked as an intern in the Near East section of the Penn Museum with Katy Blanchard, the Keeper of the Collection. As part of my responsibilities with Katy, I worked with another intern, Sean, and in conjunction with a third intern, Mira, to help the collection’s significant holdings of material from Beth Shean. The larger goals of this project were threefold; our work with the collection helped make the basement in which they are housed a safer environment (for both the collections and the staff who work there), as the objects had not been rehoused since likely the 1930’s, to help prepare for an upcoming refreshing of the Museum’s Canaan and Israel gallery, and to help provide data for the continuation of the project in future years. In addition, the project gave each of us the chance to try our hand at collections management and object photography. Although our work was cut short, we were able to rehouse and photograph a significant percentage of the overall collection, contributing to both the basement environment and the Museum’s online catalog.
Final Presentation:
Stern Site Presentation (1) (3)Please click here to access a PowerPoint version of the presentation with additional notes.
I really enjoyed how for your presentation you gave us a background on the collection you worked with. The Penn Museum certainly sounds like an interesting place, and these early collecting practices are fascinating. It’s great that because of all of this contextual information, you are able to know more about what you are working to help make accessible.
Hi Alexandra,
Thanks for providing all this background information about the Beth Shean excavation site in your presentation! It really helped with a getting better sense of the objects you worked with. I’m curious what changes have made the basement of the Penn Museum safer for Beth Shean objects as well as the staff. I’m sure you learned useful things about this that will also be relevant in the context of other museums.
Thanks for sharing!
Liv
Hey Alex,
CONGRATS on all your amazing work this semester! It was great hearing your research on some of the museum’s specific holdings. Speaking with you, Katy and the other Penn Museum interns was super affirming, both of how fulfilling museum internships are and of how fantastic alum support can be. I know you’ll be doing amazing things, whether in museums or another field. Don’t forget that Katy, Monique, Nell, and I are all here for you if you need advice, support, recommendations, etc.!
Congrats again!!
Warmly,
Tessa
Hi Alex! Your work at the Penn Museum is so cool – honestly I’m a little jealous of the amount of time you got to spend with the collections, what a great experience!