August 30–November 10, 2013

Curator: Janet Richards

This exhibition illustrated the many different paths we take to answering questions about the ancient world. In sections on Mapping, Translating, Imaging, Conserving, Investigating, Archiving, and Listening visitors explored the wide range of expertise and methods used to understand the ancient world. "Discovery!" emphasized the process of archaeological research with examples from projects affiliated with the Kelsey Museum. The exhibition also presented some of the challenges surrounding data on the people and places we study--from how to organize and curate the massive amounts of information collected in museums, in archives, and on the ground, to considerations of who actually gets access to these data and who participates in crafting the presentation of results of this work. Guiding the whole experience were the innovative questions Kelsey researchers ask--What did the ancient world sound like? How do we reconstruct the decorative schemes of Roman villas when all we have are tiny fragments? How do we find sites? What do we do if important artifacts are in poor states of preservation? Do the modern distributions of lizard species relate to ancient trade routes?