Eastern University will be holding their annual Spring Banquet on April 1 at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology for the first time. The Spring Banquet is a formal event open to all traditional undergraduate Eastern University students, offering a night of fun, food and dance inside one of the city’s most prized museums.
By combining the studies of archaeology and anthropology, the museum aims to bring together a variety of objects from humanity’s past and present in order to shed light and understanding upon our history and the lives our ancestors led. This work has allowed the public to enjoy the wonders of societies long lost to time for the past 130 years. Making this museum stand out above the rest are the students, staff and curators’ steadfast dedication to research. A large portion of the relics that are in possession by UPenn were acquired and excavated through the work of many students and staff of the museum and University. With this devotion to the wonderful studies they do, the museum is now considered the largest university-led museum in the United States, featuring more than one million unique artifacts dating back as far as 10,000 years ago.
The vast variety of exhibits on display at the museum is a source of large pride for the curators and volunteers working at the museum. Many employees have spent their lives studying a wide variety of societies, time periods and locations in order to expand the public’s understanding of the past so they may pass this knowledge to future generations. Currently the museum is displaying a variety of exhibitions, from displays featuring the churches of Constantinople to an exhibit focused on the evolution of modern humans. With this radical contrast in subject matter, it is clear the museum is objective in their work and devoted to providing as much information to the public on as wide a variety of topics as possible.
Other exhibits currently on display include an exploration of Native American history, magic in the Ancient World, Ancient Egyptian times and African culture. Another groundbreaking exhibit at the museum is an artifact lab in which visitors may view scientists and conservators as they study, preserve and conserve artifacts from a variety of cultures and time periods. However, this display is currently closed; it will be reopened on April 6.
One of the museum’s most prized possessions is their 13-ton granite sphinx, depicting the body of a lion and the head of a man. It was carved in memory of King Ramses II who lived from 1279 to 1213 B.C. and is often considered one of the greatest and most celebrated of the Ancient Egyptian pharaohs. The monument to his life was excavated in Memphis, Egypt in 1913 and brought to UPenn’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology for display.
While viewing a few of the museum’s current displays and their continued efforts to research and study civilizations and societies of the past and present, it is clear that the museum will offer an excellent source of information and discovery for generations to come. Eastern University students are encouraged to quench their curiosity and explore the decadent halls and galleries that the University of Pennsylvania has provided in over a century’s worth of work. All in all, the museum will offer a wonderful venue for this year’s Spring Banquet; amidst relics of the past you may enjoy a wonderful night in the city.
The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is located less than 20 miles east of Eastern’s main campus and offers $10 tickets to full-time college students. Even if you cannot make this year’s Spring Banquet, you are highly encouraged to discover the wonderful sights this museum has to offer.
Source: penn.museum
Josh Steen 
Grace Nealy 
Ethan Goonewardene