Past Field Projects

The Kelsey has a long and proud tradition of sponsoring archaeological fieldwork in the Mediterranean and Near East. This tradition dates back to Francis Kelsey himself, who in the early twentieth century embarked on a series of excavations, most famously initiating work at Karanis, a Roman-period town in the Egyptian Fayum. Many objects excavated at Karanis are now in the holdings of the Kelsey Museum. Other early projects (such as at Seleucia-on-the-Tigris, 1928–1937) similarly resulted in substantial additions to the Museum's collections—a practice that no longer holds true today owing to changes in accepted archaeological ethics.

Archives for some previous excavations can be accessed on the Michigan Excavation Records database. Contact the Registry Department for access.