Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, University of Michigan

Aerial view of the archaeological site of Vindolanda in northern England. In the foreground is a fort enclosed by a stone wall, while rolling green fields are visible in the background.

Students working on the Kea project in a storage building. Lauren Alberti holds up a triangular object for the camera, while a group of additional objects are scattered on a table in front of her.

Looking into a tomb at Leptiminus. Toward the top is a small niche in the wall with a round object within; pottery pieces can be seen on the ground, along with two larger intact amphorae, standing near a measuring stick.

“Our minds must relax: they will rise better and keener after a rest.” —Seneca 🧘🏾‍♀️🧠

Looking for some archaeological entertainment on your holiday break? Catch up on some Kelsey Museum lectures from the fall semester on our YouTube channel: https://myumi.ch/pVQ89. 📱

Kelsey Museum membership card featuring a Block M/logo and a panel from the Villa of the Mysteries frescoes.

The Kelsey Museum is excited to offer memberships for archaeology enthusiasts and museum lovers alike. Give yourself or an ancient history adventurer in your life the gift of a Kelsey membership. 🎁🎄

Learn more and check out our revamped membership program here: https://myumi.ch/9pNMA.

Laurel, wearing a shirt patterned with lemons, smiles from next to a photography setup in the Conservation Lab. A camera is trained on a terracotta figurine of the god Harpocrates.

It’s time for a Kelsey virtual Flash Talk!

IPAMAA PhD candidate Laurel Fricker will present a Flash Talk based on her research and recent exhibition, “Through the Lens: Examining Colorful Objects from Karanis.”

Learn more and register here: https://myumi.ch/dg711.

An archival photo of an old olive tree with a huge trunk encircled by stone pavers in the garden of Gethsemane.

Black-and-white archival photo of George Swain on a donkey in front of an olive tree.

Olive pressing uncovered during Kelsey excavations in Karanis, Egypt. It is a golden, sandy color and appears to have a smooth texture, but small fragments or seed pieces and olive skins can be made out upon closer inspection.

It’s #WorldOliveTreeDay, and the Kelsey would like to share some olive-tastic photos and objects from our collection! 🫒

1) Olive tree in the Garden of Gethsemane.

2) U-M photographer George R. Swain in the Mount of Olives.

3) Karanis olive pressing (2nd–4th c. CE).

Have an olive-ly day! ✨😉

Cover of the Fall 2025 edition of the Kelsey Museum Newsletter. It features a close-up of a Late Antique Egyptian block-printed textile with occasional small frays and holes. The design features small donkeys enclosed in circles, round flowers, and rows of red circles intersecting in diamond patterns in red, tan, brown, and blue. Text across the bottom band reads, “Warps & Wefts: Egyptian Textiles in Focus.”

We present to you…the Kelsey’s fall 2025 newsletter! 🎊✨

Learn about the strides and indelible mark the Kelsey Museum’s staff, students, and partners are making in the field of archaeology.

🔗 Check out the newsletter here: https://myumi.ch/mR1Qj.

Semioval-shaped scoop made of dark grain wood with visible nails. The wood is in overall good condition and shows some cracks, chips, and wear.

Fall is here! 🍁🍂

In Michigan, that means apple orchards, bright orange and red leaves, and balmy days. In the spirit of harvest, this #ArtifactOfTheWeek highlights a grain scoop uncovered in 1924 during Michigan’s excavations in Karanis, Egypt, dating to the Roman period (2nd–3rd century CE). 🍎🌾🫒

Headshot of Henrike Florusbosch.

The Kelsey Museum welcomes Henrike Florusbosch to the team as its new chief administrator! To learn more about Henrike’s background, visit https://myumi.ch/2r2bJ.

Welcome to the Kelsey, Henrike! We look forward to your contributions. 👏

The front entrance of the Grand Egyptian Museum, featuring a triangular, pyramid-inspired entryway surrounded by a wall of hieroglyphs.

View of the Grand Egyptian Museum’s interior, including its high ceiling with natural light coming through and a monolithic statue of a pharaoh.

On November 1, 2025, the Grand Egyptian Museum will celebrate its long-awaited opening with a gala attended by royalty and world leaders in a state-of-the-art facility.
Join the Kelsey Museum and friends for a free, public livestream of the festivities.

Register at https://myumi.ch/y1j5y.