The Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology has unveiled a brand new exhibit that takes visitors on a journey through 10,000 years of human history.

The Middle East Galleries, a suite of galleries themed around the 'Journey to the City', explore the impact that ancient Mesopotamian societies had on modern life, particularly how the earliest settlements in these societies gave rise to the modern city.

The galleries, which opened at the end of April, form the first phase of a major refurbishment project at the museum.

UK-based design consultancy Haley Sharpe Design (HSD) were responsible for the overall design of the exhibition, which features three themed galleries - 'Towards Cities', 'Ur: The Great City' and 'The World of Cities' - located in 6000sq ft (558sq m) of newly renovated space.

Almost 1200 objects from the museum's extensive collection including: the crown jewels of a Mesopotamian queen and one of the world's oldest wine vessels, are displayed throughout the galleries. alongside large-scale video projections, scale models and illustrator's renderings, as well as interactive stations and touchable reproductions of the artifacts.

"The Middle East Galleries was designed to appeal to a broad spectrum of visitors", says HSD designer and director Alisdair Hinshelwood.

"Our design optimises visitor flow and routing for both access and gallery users, stylistically acknowledging the historic character of the spaces, whilst offering an attractive and inviting gallery environment", he comments.