The Mercer Museum of Doylestown

This museum in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is housed in a concrete castle designed by Henry Mercer, an early archaeologist, collector, and ceramicist. Mercer collected historic tools and other artifacts that demonstrated American industry and crafts, including blacksmithing, butchery, hat-making, and many more.

Cradles and chairs on the ceiling.
Butchery and sausage-making tools.
Firebacks and more firebacks.
Ceramic tiles!

Egyptian Artifacts at Glencairn

Some of the Egyptian artifacts on display at Glencairn, a mansion turned museum outside of Philadelphia.

stone head of Sakhmet
Head of the goddess Sakhmet, Karnak, Temple of Mut, New Kingdom, Egypt. Glencairn collection. Source: TCM
Relief of Horus on Lotus and Papyrus Clump. Glencairn collection. Source: TCM
Crocodile mummy, Egypt. Glencairn collection. Source: TCM

The Field Trip that Founded, and Filled, the Oriental Institute

Oriental Institute Building

In 1919, James Henry Breasted, archaeologist and founder of the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, embarked on a year-long trip through the Middle East. His goal was to identify research opportunities throughout the area, and to obtain artifacts to bring back to Chicago. The story (from a 2010 exhibition at the Institute) was told in Archaeology Magazine.

“Fountain of Youth” Site Artifacts to be Curated by U. Florida

Shell tools from Spanish St. Augustine, Florida

Artifacts from the early Spanish site in St. Augustine, Florida (associated with Pedro Menendez de Aviles, not Ponce de Leon) are being donated to the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida.  U. Florida archaeologists have been excavating the site, and storing the artifacts, for many years, so it appears this will make the curatorial arrangement permanent, and perhaps provide a tax break for the owners of the site.

Article in the Gainesville Sun.