Eastern Mediterranean Gallery

FAIN: GI-280309-21

University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA 19104-6205)
Lauren M. Ristvet (Project Director: December 2020 to present)

Implementation of a reinstallation of a permanent exhibition on the art and artifacts of ancient Eastern Mediterranean cultures and peoples from the Late Bronze Age (1,500 B.C.) to the Roman Period (1,000 A.D.).

The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Penn Museum) requests a $400,000 exhibitions implementation grant to install a 2,000-square-foot permanent gallery to showcase collections from the Levant and the Eastern Mediterranean. The Penn Museum holds one of the finest collections of ancient objects from the Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, and the Palestinian Territories in the world, with most of the collection coming from Penn''s own excavations. Much of this excavated material has never before been on display. Scheduled to open in fall 2022, the Eastern Mediterranean: Cultures, Conflict, and Creativity Gallery will introduce the Museum''s pioneering research and rich collections to public audiences.

Associated Products

Eastern Mediterranean Gallery (Exhibition)
Title: Eastern Mediterranean Gallery
Curator: Lauren Ristvet
Curator: Eric Hubbard
Curator: Virginia Herrmann
Curator: Joanna Smith
Abstract: The new Eastern Mediterranean Gallery uses the concept of "crossroads" to explore the archaeology and history of Cyprus and the Levant by focusing on four vectors of connection: religion, politics, trade, and migration. Connecting diverse people and cultures, this region has been a space of coexistence, conflict, and creativity. The exhibition tells the story of how the eastern Mediterranean—Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian territories, and Cyprus—was a hub of cultural exchange and creativity from 1500 BCE to 1000 CE, connected through trade, migration, religion, and empire across the Mediterranean to Egypt, Arabia, Anatolia, and Mesopotamia. At the same time, this area has been home to distinctive and diverse local cultures, where innovations like the alphabet and monotheism first emerged. And over these 2500 years, this space also saw the emergence and spread of three major world religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all of which remain important in the United States today.
Year: 2022
Primary URL: https://www.penn.museum/on-view/galleries-exhibitions/eastern-mediterranean-gallery
Primary URL Description: This links to the Penn Museum website page on the new Eastern Mediterranean Gallery. The page includes an overview of the gallery at a glance, as well as a description of each of the gallery's themes.

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