Mira Yuan, Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology & Linguistics, BMC ’21

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:

I interned at the Penn Museum in the Near Eastern Collection under Katy Blanchard, along with fellow museum studies students Alex Stern and Sean Keenan. As interns, we were cataloging, photographing, and rehousing material from the site of Beth Shean in Israel.

Some of the material from Beth Shean had been in the collection for nearly 90 years, but still didn’t have a picture on the database. Objects are far more likely to be included in academic research when people can see what they look like before contacting the collections keeper. Although our internship was cut short, we assisted in adding over 1,000 photos to the online collection.

Final Presentation:

Mira Yuan Blog Post Penn Museum Internship

Please click here to access a PDF version of the presentation.

3 thoughts on “Mira Yuan, Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology & Linguistics, BMC ’21”

  1. Ellie Esmond

    Hi Mira,

    This was so fascinating! I never considered the impact that a photograph would have on an object being used for research and education in this way, but after reading your report it totally makes sense. The work that you and your fellow interns did this semester will result in so many more objects going in to more active circulation! It must feel really good to know your work has such a direct impact on the community.

    Thank you for sharing this!
    –Ellie

  2. Liv Raddatz Post author

    Hi Mira,
    You and the your fellow interns made a substantial contribution to the accessibility of Beth Shean objects, despite the shorter duration of in-person fieldwork. That’s wonderful! I really enjoyed learning about the different steps involved and have a new appreciation for the the role of photography in the museum context.

    Thanks for sharing your experience!

    Liv

  3. Tessa

    Hey Mira,

    CONGRATS on all your amazing work this semester! It was great seeing the day-to-day work you did at the museum, especially how photographing the objects works. 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

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