CAHA teaching collections
The Department of Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology has access to three specialist teaching collections that are used regularly for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in the department.
Below you can find out more information about each collection, and how they are used in teaching and research.
Archaeology collection
The Archaeology Collection holds over 2000 objects from European, Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian cultures. The collection offers students an important opportunity to engage with and learn from the material culture of the ancient world in seminars and through volunteering with the collection.
The archaeology collection has been part of the Department of Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology since 1902.
You can find out more about the history of the collection here.
The collection is central to the Department and provides invaluable opportunities for students to work with, handle, and learn from ancient artefacts.
Volunteer placements
The Department of Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology, in partnership with the University’s Research and Cultural Collections provide placements for undergraduate and postgraduate students to work with the collection and gain invaluable collections management experience. Applications are open for new volunteers at the beginning of each academic year. Below is a statement from a past volunteer on their experience.
“Volunteering with the Archaeology Collection has been immensely useful in developing skills in a museum environment. Working directly with objects with the support of enthusiastic staff has also enhanced my understanding of how important artefacts are in how we study the ancient world. My involvement in the redisplay of the museum has been an especially rewarding process which has expanded my enjoyment in curating. I recommend this opportunity to anyone who is looking for experience in museums and collections.” (Statement from an undergraduate volunteer 2018/2019).
The Eton Myers Collection of Egyptian Antiquities
Since 2011, the Eton Myers collection has been on loan to the University of Birmingham. With a range of over 500 ancient Egyptian objects such as shabti figures, amulets and pottery spanning thousands of years of Egyptian history from the Palaeolithic to the Graeco-Roman period, the collection has been used for teaching with the College of Arts and Law and for research purposes, resulting in several talks and exhibitions. Access to the collection for tours, object handling sessions and voluntary student projects will be available throughout the academic term and advertised through social media, the College of Arts and Law, and the Birmingham Egyptology webpage.
Environmental Archaeology collection
CAHA holds a number of collections of Environmental Archaeological material. This includes both the Gorham and Girling collections of British Coleoptera (beetles), The Historic England / CAHA bone collection bones consisting of around 500 mammals and bird skeletons and a moderately sized archaeobotany plant collection. These collections are used as reference for a range of archaeological research and commercial projects, to teach students and as a resource for the public.
The Archaeology and Eton Myers collections are cared for by the Research and Cultural Collections department who have a volunteer programme that give students the opportunity to work with CAHA’s collection while gaining invaluable curatorial and heritage management experience.
CAHA’s Archaeology collection is also available for Outreach activities with the Birmingham and Midlands Schools’ Classics Hub.