Archaeology Collection

History

The collection was established in 1902 after Professor John Hopkinson purchased the core of the collection for £100 during a research trip to Rhodes.

It has grown over time, thanks to donations from alumni, former academic staff, and private collectors.

Objects

You’ll find pottery, funerary, domestic and religious objects in this collection, and advances in technology give us new understanding of artefacts all the time.

A key item in the collection is an Egyptian Canopic jar from the New Kingdom (circa 1570-1070 B.C.). Some years ago medical experts from Queen Elizabeth hospital were able to CT scan the jar, discovering that inside was an organ with the density of liver or intestines. The fact that the jar contains its original preserved contents makes it rare.

The collection also includes the Egyptian Anthropoid Wooden Coffin Lid of Ahmose, likely excavated at Beni Hasan in Middle Egypt.

On Display

Most of the collection is displayed within a teaching space in the department of Classics, Ancient History, and Archaeology in the Arts Building at the University of Birmingham.

As well as items from the collection, the display features long-term loans from the Ashmolean Museum and Birmingham Museums Trust.

For information about the history of the collection and collecting practices, see our  Collections Development Policy.

For a deeper dive into the collection including online resources, and a detailed history, explore the Classics, Ancient History, and Archaeology pages.