Save the Date: Dr. Joyce White & Archaeology in Action March 25, 2025 5 0 Dr. White in discussions with her colleagues in Laos On Thursday, Jun. 5 2025, from 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm. Dr. Joyce White will be giving a virtual lecture on her research in Thailand and Laos. She will discuss her collaborations with international colleagues including Thai and Lao scholars of archaeology and indigenous traditions. Special
Staff Special: Nichanan “Mew” Klangwichai March 25, 2025 4 0 Mew in the Ban Chiang Project office Mew’s journey to Penn’s Ban Chiang Project started in a village just a short distance from Ban Chiang. Her mother had once visited the site with Mew, sparking her daughter’s curiosity for archaeology early. It was a spark that caught, and by seventh grade, Mew decided to become
2024 MMAP Accomplishments & Next Steps January 21, 2025 62 0 In Luang Prabang, the team began using the new workspace and loved the roomy 8-person workstations, collection storeroom, and shaded outdoor space. All of the 2023 members remained on board for 2024, leading to a happy reunion and deeper skill developments in archaeological illustration and ceramic variability, all leading to a very productive season. Issarawan
Happy Holidays From MMAP! January 21, 2025 58 0 Merry Christmas and Happy 2025 from our team in Luang Prabang working on MMAP and other exciting projects!
The Sixth ISEAA Early Career Award January 9, 2025 94 0 The Institute for Southeast Asian Archaeology announces the sixth round of the biennial award of $1000 for early career Southeast Asianist archaeologists. Look here for information about the award and how to apply.
Interview with Nick Scavullo, Film Archive Digitization Volunteer December 11, 2024 80 0 by Ella Jewell Ella: Can you tell us a little about yourself? I’m an anthropology major at Temple University; I’m a senior and am planning to work for a year after graduating this summer, then want to go to grad school for forensic anthropology. This dream came to be because of the show Bones. I
Staff Special: Dr. Varangrat Nguanchoo December 5, 2024 25 0 Dr. Varangrat Nguanchoo is the Year of Botany’s ethnobotanist. She helped identify, preserve, and translate information for the specimens from Dr. White’s collection. Recently, she went “viral” (at least in the realm of ethnobotany in Thailand) with a Facebook post. The translation of the text is as follows: Why are examples of plant species and
Un-be-leaf-able: The Plant Specimens of YOB December 5, 2024 21 0 Dr. Srisanga studying and identifying plant specimens with microscopy The process of unwrapping and mounting herbal samples for transport to the herbarium The ethnobotanical portion of the Year of Botany Project would not exist without the many plant specimens currently in the care of the Philadelphia Herbarium at the Academy of Natural Sciences. After four
From the Lab to the Academy November 6, 2024 302 0 Transfer of the Ban Chiang Ethnobotanical Collection to the Academy of Natural Sciences: Lea Belland (left) with the first transfer batch of Ban Chiang Project’s ethnobotanical specimens to the Philadelphia Herbarium at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Chelsea Smith (right) is the collection manager of the Herbarium. Year of Botany at the Penn Museum, by
Seeds of Decolonization: Why the Year of Botany Matters November 5, 2024 19 0 Closeup of specimen still on original newspaper pressing. Recently, our partner institution, the Academy of Natural Sciences, ran a featured blog about the Ban Chiang specimens they now house. From ANS’s description: “Recognizing the significance of this collection, the Academy gladly agreed to house these thousand-plus unique specimens from Southeast Asia in its prestigious Herbarium.
The Basket Case: YOB’s Ethnographic Collection Publicity November 5, 2024 29 0 The Ban Chiang Project’s Year of Botany is not only about collecting plants, but also about understanding the lives of the people who lived with and used the plants. Recently, the Penn Museum blog featured a post on the ethnographic collection that was brought out of storage in 2024 and cataloged for YOB. From the
Seedy Work: Methods of Archaeobotany November 5, 2024 51 0 Dr. Cristina Castillo (standing, far right) with her team who worked on floating the Archaeobotany samples When most people think of archaeology, they think about buried remains of buildings, or perhaps discovering skeletons or mummies. However, archaeology also has a nature-loving side, which would include archaeobotany. Archaeobotany is the study of excavated plants and how
