Our large archaeology collections consist of artefacts recovered from the ground, dating from the Palaeolithic era to AD1700. The collection focuses on archaeology from the Borough of Swindon, our current collecting area. Material from outside this area is also included as it was acquired earlier in the museum’s history.

 

An archive is the term given to all archaeology material and reports resulting from an excavation or evaluation. The largest archaeology archives in the collection are associated with the Roman settlement at Wanborough, known as Durocornovium. There are also significant archives associate with Latton Lands, the construction of the M4 motorway, Groundwell and north Swindon, Lydiard Park, Highworth and Chiseldon. Swindon Museum & Art Gallery (Swindon MAG) is expected to receive large archives associated with Commonhead, Ground Ridge and the New Eastern Villages development area in the next 3 to 10 years.

Commercial archaeology excavations, research projects and stray finds make up much of our archaeology collection, alongside historical collections established by Charles Gore and others.

3D Virtual Tour of Previous Archaeology Gallery

The Gallery was revamped as part of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) two year project, ‘Swindon’s Archaeology in Context’.

Through the kind support of Vox PR, Swindon Museum and Art Gallery Trust commissioned Wyvern 3D, a company that produces immersive 3D virtual tours, to scan the new and improved gallery which means the gallery can be toured virtually, enabling visitors to find out more about the wonderful archaeology collections at Swindon MAG. 

Click here to do the tour!

Egyptology

This collection also includes a small Egyptian collection comprising a mummy, mummified hands, pre-dynastic ceramics and some worked flints.

Finds Liaison Officers

Swindon MAG shares Finds Liaison Officers (FLO) with other museums in Wiltshire, as part of the national Portable Antiquities Scheme. The Portable Antiquities Scheme is a voluntary recording scheme which allows members of the public to log chance archaeological finds which are over 300 years old. Finds are identified and logged onto a national database, allowing a complete picture of the past to be developed.

Wiltshire FLO is:

Sophie Hawke, PAS@salisbury.org.uk or 01722 332151.

For further details on the scheme please go to the Finds website.