Penn Museum. University Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology, Philadelphia

The Penn Museum, formerly known as the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, is located on the University of Pennsylvania's campus in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia. You can find it at the intersection of 33rd and South Streets. Established in 1887, the Penn Museum has actively participated in 400 research projects worldwide. Its inaugural project involved excavating Nippur, a historical site in present-day Iraq.

One of the museum's standout attractions is the largest authentic sphinx in North America, measuring approximately seven feet in height, four feet in width, 13 feet in length, and weighing a hefty 12.9 tons, crafted from solid red granite. This impressive artifact was unearthed in 1912 by the British archaeologist, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie, during his excavation of the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis. In its original context, the sphinx guarded a temple to protect against evil forces. Since Petrie's expedition received partial funding from the University of Pennsylvania, he offered the sphinx to the university, which arranged for its transfer to the museum in 1913. In 2019, the sphinx was relocated to a more prominent location within the museum to attract more visitors.

The Penn Museum features three gallery floors showcasing artifacts from various regions, including Egypt, the Middle East, Mesoamerica, Asia, the Mediterranean, Africa, and indigenous artifacts from the Americas. One of its most renowned pieces is a sculpture depicting a goat rearing up into the branches of a rosette-leafed plant, originating from the royal tombs of Ur.

Moreover, the Penn Museum's ongoing excavations and extensive collections provide valuable resources for graduate students studying the Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World within the Graduate Group. The museum's Beaux-Arts building boasts distinctive features like a rotunda and gardens adorned with Egyptian papyrus plants.