> Redundancies at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of
> Archaeology and Anthropology
>> Dear Colleagues,
>> Some of you may be aware of the recent announcement of the
>> termination of eighteen research specialist positions at the
>> University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology,
>> the abolishing of those research positions, and the shutting down
>> of their associated laboratories and centers such as MASCA (the
>> Museum Applied Science Center for Archaeology). MASCA is the
>> scientific division of the University of Pennsylvania Museum. Its
>> research focuses on the application of modern scientific
>> techniques that will aid the interpretation of archaeological
>> contexts and the materials recovered from those contexts, during
>> both current excavations and past ones. Dr Kathleen Ryan leading
>> research scientist at MASCA, http://www.museum.upenn.edu/new/
>> research/kenya.shtml , well-known to the Africanist archaeology
>> community, is one of those who will be affected, as will 17 other
>> research scientists who specialise in other fields.
>> The Museum's official website http://www.museum.upenn.edu/
>> index.php makes no mention of these recent events, even though the
>> announcement was made by the Museum's director Richard Hodges on
>> November 19th. As matters currently stand, the termination of
>> contracts will be effective from the end of May 2009.
>> Colleagues who wish to protest at this closure can do so by
>> signing an online petition:
>> http://www.petitiononline.com/Penn2009/petition.html
>> For reports in the media, see
>> http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/36286004.html
>> http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/
>> news/2008/11/26/News/Financial.Crisis.Forces.Firing.Of.
>> 18.Penn.Museum.Researchers-3562067.shtml
>> For comments posted on a blog (and associated links), see
>> http://pennmuseumpetition.wordpress.com/2009/01/
>> Please feel free to pass this information on to your membership if
>> you consider it appropriate to do so.
>> Paul Lane
>> President, SAfA
>> HEEAL Project Team Leader
>> http://www.heeal.eu/
>> http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/arch/staff/Lane.htm
>> Department of Archaeology,
>> University of York
>> King's Manor
>> York YO1 7EP, UK
>>