The Collection

The University of Nottingham Museum has a collection of archaeological artefacts from the East Midlands (Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire). The wide variety of objects on display in the Museum reflects  the everyday lives of people living in the East Midlands from the Palaeolithic to the post medieval period.

Prehistoric

The Museum contains substantial holdings of Palaeolithic and Neolithic objects. The majority of objects from these periods are lithics and axes.

The Bronze Age collection includes both metalwork, notably from Attenborough, and pottery.

The Iron Age is represented mainly by pottery and includes a local type series of fabrics.

Roman

There is a wide variety of artefacts from a variety of Roman sites including the village at Margidunum, the cemetery at Ancaster and the Villa at Southwell.

Anglo-Saxon

The Anglo Saxon collection contains metalwork, including brooches, and pottery from the cemeteries at Willoughby-on-the-Wolds, Ancaster and Newark.

Medieval and post medieval

Medieval building materials and pottery as well as a variety of everyday objects from this period can be found in the Museum.  Post medieval pottery from the Nottingham caves have contributed to a type and fabric series of medieval and post medieval pottery.

Beyond the region

There is a small quantity of material from other countries including Etruscan artefacts from Italy, Bronze Age pottery from Cyprus, jewellery and pottery from Egypt and Greek and Roman coins.