One need only look at the “revival” jewelry of the last few centuries to understand that everyone was excited and fascinated by the archaeological finds of dauntless explorers. Egyptian, Hellenistic, Assyrian, Etruscan—decorative motifs from these cultures were worked into gold brooches, bracelets, and earrings for worldly women caught up in the fervor. But there were those who didn’t stop there. Esther Boise Van Deman, Marion Elizabeth Blake, the Bulwer sisters, Gertrude Bell, and Maria Ponti Pasolini. These women—trained archaeologists, architects, and classicists—went into the field to do their research, shoulder to shoulder with men. This exhibition at the American Academy of Rome presents their photographic documentation of excavations in Italy. Expect potent visual transport to a mysterious time and place. —Laura Jacobs