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Description: | The collections of the Department of Antiquities cover almost the entire span of human history from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Victorian era and include the founderÃ's 17th century collections displayed as a unit and unique in the UK, and over 3 centuries of concentrated collecting of antiquities from Europe, the Mediterranean region, Egypt and the Near East and the United Kingdom, in particular the Upper Thames Valley and adjacent areas. The Prehistoric European collection contains Stone and Bronze Age objects from western and northern Europe many originally from the Sir John Evans (1823-1908) Collection, used as the basis for his famous works- Ancient stone implements and Ancient Bronze Age Implements of Great Britian in 1897 and 1881 respectively. There is also a small but distinguished collection of Italian prehistory.
The Prehistoric Aegean collection is world famous and has one of the richest collections of Cycladic Bronze Age material and the best collection of Minoan antiquities outside of Greece. Mainly from gifts of Sir Arthur Evans, excavator of the Palace of Minos at Knossos, who also continued funding the museum up to and after his death; Evans, Kenna and Boardman published much of the material.
The Egyptian and Near east collection is only surpassed by the British Museum and is particularly strong in objects of every day use through several thousands of years from Kish in Mesopotamia, Ur, Nimrud, Nineveh and Deve Huyuk in Iraq, from Atchanna and Al Mina in Syria and Turkey and from sites in Palestine and the Levant, notably Jericho. There are also à LuristanÃ' bronzes, cylinder and stamp seals, and the Cypriot collection contains important tomb groups.
The Egyptian collection is one of the best and most complete in the World and for study is unsurpassed. Pre-eminent are finds from Nagada and Ballas, Abydos, el Amarna, Hu-Dendereh, Hawara and Ehnasya; also the Nubian collection. Published by Sir Flinders Petrie and J C. Payne.
The Classical Greek collections have the Ã-Arundel Marblesà assembled in the 17th century, oldest of its type in Britain and pivotal in the study of classical art and architecture. The Arundel inscriptions were presented in 1667 and Greek and Roman sculpture in 1755. Greek painted pottery is important and substantial, but the Greek collections also include bronzes, terracottas, gems, and fibulae and important grave goods from Thrace and the Crimea. The Italic and Etruscan collection is small, but representative and the Roman collection includes type series of gems, brooches, lamps, pottery, glass, pewter and ironwork. There is locally excavated material from Shakenoak and the Romano-Celtic site at Water Eaton.
Local archaeology has significant collections of Dark Age and earlier periods and the European migration period metalwork is exceptional including the Alfred Jewel. The 11th-15th century pitchers and jugs of the medieval collection are also without a rival for showing shapes and styles.
The Archive is important especially the Evans Archive of Cretan archaeology; the Allen air photographs; the Kish excavation and the local archaeology from the mid 19th century. The Griffith Institute, the Keeper is ex-officio, holds the archive and photos of the Howard carter excavations of the tomb of Tutankhamun.
The Department holds some 5,000 brass rubbings made over a number of years by the Oxford University Archaeological Society, the Oxford Architectural and Historical Society and others. The brasses are usually figures, inscriptions, shields or other devices, engraved in plate brass and laid as memorials. The memorial often consists of a flat metal plate, or "brass", on which may be engraved the figures of the deceased, canopies, shields-of-arms and inscriptions and a stone slab, or "casement", normally covering the grave, into which the brass is set. There are county lists organised in Parish then by monumental brass date, but the Monumental Brass Society has an extensive website about brasses and incised slabs at www.mbs-brasses.co.uk The brass rubbings, air photographs and a combined ceramic collection are all online through the museumÃ's web site.In total including all the above the Department holds c. 300,000 archaeology objects; c.45,000 archives including the Arthur Evans archive and the historic archive of the museum (17th-19th centuries); 40 pieces of arms and armour; c.600 costume and textiles in the Egyptian and Coptic and the 17th century founding collection; 75 objects of Dec. art; c.60 ethnographic objects form the Tradescant collection; c.400 pieces of sculpture and drawings; 10 musical items, 100 Roman medical implements, c.6,500 photographs including 2,000 Maj. Allen's air photos and 2,500 Sir Arthur Evans archive, c.30 objets mainly in the founding collections including Queen Elizabeth's gloves, 1,500 casts and electrotypes including Byzantine ivories and post-medieval apothecary equipment, a ship model and a tricolour. | Source: | Cornucopia - Discovering UK Collections | Address: | Beaumont Street
Oxford Oxfordshire,
OX1 2PH | FAX: | 01865 278018 | Telephone: | 01865 278000 | Identifier: | oai:www.cornucopia.org.uk:4171 | Go to resource |
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