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Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology

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Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology

Two million years of human history. One million artefacts. Countless astonishing stories 🌎
(396)

01/06/2026

As a museum we explore humanity's history over hundreds of thousands of years through the extraordinary objects they've made. As a result is not normally something we celebrate, however, eagled eyed visitors may have spotted that you can still find dinosaurs in one of our galleries...

This contemporary artwork is the first panel of a painting split across three canvases which charts the evolution of the environment and man's relationship with it, from adaptation to dominance and ending in destruction. In this piece humanity's evolution is played out over three stages, with a woman holding a mobile phone as the final phase. Perhaps to emphasis the age of the Earth, which existed for millions of years before humanity walked its surface, the artist has included three dinosaurs within this image. Can you find them all?

If you'd like to see more dinosaurs then we recommend you visit our lovely friends over at Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences - make sure you keep an eye out for their fearsome replica of a T-Rex skull!

📸 2023.18.1 'From Eden to Ecocide: Tale of Human Impact I', Benin City, Nigeria. Artist: Enotie Ogbobor, 2023.
🔗 https://collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/590950/

31/05/2026

We love the range of designs these little printing blocks come in!

If you're looking for a craft project, why not try your hand at adding a personalised twist to a plain tote bag or wrapping paper? Beautifully carved they could also make a stylish addition to your home decor.

Make sure your swing by our gift shop to check out the different patterns we have on sale and let us know what you would use them for.

30/05/2026

Join us for as we hunt for the potatoes on display at MAA. From charms against a range of medical ailments to chuño, a delicacy which is considered part of Peru's Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

Will you be keeping an eye out for these potatoes next time you visit?

📸 Z 45048 A-B Charm made from two potatoes, Wi******er, England. Collector: ?Dr Edmund Quiggin.
🔗 https://collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/493068/

📸 Z 45668 Potato charm, Whitby, England. Source: Unknown.
🔗 https://collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/493312/

📸 Z 46285 Potato charm, Cambridge. Collector: ?Dr Alfred Haddon.
🔗 https://collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/493316/

📸 1931.56 A-C Freeze-dried chuño, Peru, ?Pre-Columbian.
🔗 https://collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/541111/

Video description: A walk through some of the museum galleries and the temporary exhibition highlighting where potatoes are on display. All the potatoes are very small, and most are shrivelled with age. Captions read: "Finding potatoes in the museum... Pop these potatoes in your pockets as a cure for gout! Meanwhile, these potatoes were charms to prevent rheumatism. Freeze-drying potatoes can preserve them for long periods of time*. *These are over 500 years old. Bonus potato content! Potatoes also appear in our large-scale collaborative painting celebrating their origin in the Andes region."

29/05/2026

We are delighted to be hosting the premiere screening of 'A Land Where Our Monuments Bloom' as part of this year's Cambridge Pride . This short film was developed by Alexander Augustus and celebrates q***r history, visibility, and community.

After the screening there will be a Q&A with Alexander followed by an opportunity to explore different aspects of the collections on display through a q***r lens.

🗓️ 11 June 2026, 6pm (doors open at 5:30pm)
📍 Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
🎟️ Free
🔗 Book now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1990376481636

Not able to join us in-person? Don't worry, we will also be streaming live! Book your place now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1990572476863

Cambridge Pride Arts Pink Festival Cambridge City Council

📸 Image credit: Alexander Augustus, 2026.

27/05/2026

Over the last two years Paul, one of our wonderful Photographic Collections volunteers, has helped us to catalogue some of the thousands of images left to the Museum by Cambridge anthropologist G.I. Jones.

Amongst these images are several hundred photographs of
Igbo Mbari (spirit houses) and their sculptures. Mbari were built by a
village community to seek the blessing and benevolence of gods and spirits. By providing shelter and comfort for these deities the community sought prosperity and productive farming in return.

Mbari were not intended to be permanent structures. Once created they weren't touched or repaired, but instead left to slowly decay and eventually be reabsorbed by nature and by the gods, spirits, and animals to whom it was first offered.

In our new online exhibition Paul shares what he has learnt about Mbari through the eyes and lens of Jones: https://museums.cam.ac.uk/story/exploring-the-mbari-house-with-g-i-jones/

📸 P.170781.GIJ Mbari house, Ulakwo, Nigeria. Photographer: G.I. Jones, 1936.

26/05/2026

Did you know Bram Stoker's Dracula was published in 1897?

If you're looking for another vampire story, why not check out our blog post about this langsuir figure? She's a popular Malay horror icon whose long black hair hides a hole in the back of her neck which she uses to drink the blood of children!

Find out more over on the Digital Lab: https://www.maadigitallab.org/blog/2025/09/30/a-langsuir-figure-and-a-betel-tree-in-the-skeat-collections-thinking-through-models/

📸 Z 33229 Langsuir figure, Perak, Peninsular Malaysia. Collector and donor: Walter Skeat.

23/05/2026

It's so we've been searching our online collections database for objects which have been made in the form of, or feature, turtles.

From a sculpture made from ghost nets (plastic fishing nets abandoned at sea) and a shadow puppet to the delicate carving of a netuske and the beautiful embroidery which decorates a kimono (きもの).

Which is your favourite?

📸 2014.238 'Koeral - Turtle Shell Flake', Torres Strait. Artist: Alick Tipoti , 2012.
🔗 https://collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/555595/

📸 Z 3500 Water pot, Fiji. Collector and donor: Baron Anatole von Hügel.
🔗 https://collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/485474/

📸 Z 33649 Shadow puppet, Malaysia. Collector and donor: Walter Skeat.
🔗 https://collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/485891/

📸 1937.321 Yaqona or kava bowl, Fiji. Collector: Col. R. Stewart.
🔗 https://collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/485679/

📸 Z 46350.1-5 Turtle toy, Europe. Donor: ?Geoffrey Bushnell.
🔗 https://collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/493102/

📸 1927.1107 Charms, Athens, Greece. Collector: Frederick Hasluck.
🔗 https://collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/493418/

📸 1943.2 Kimono (きもの), Japan. Donor: Mrs Gertrude Strickland.
🔗 https://collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/495478/

📸 2017.55 'Bee Dee', Erub, Torres Strait Islands. Artist: Florence Gutchen, 2016.
🔗 https://collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/566742/

📸 1943.107 Netsuke, Japan. Donor: Mrs Gertrude Strickland.
🔗 https://collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/495575/

22/05/2026

If you're in Cambridge and looking for a low-cost family adventure this half term, don't forget we're open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am-5pm, and Sunday, 12-5pm. Entry is free and there are museum trails available at the front desk.

📸 Discovering the Nigerian case. Image credit: My Linh Le, 2025.

21/05/2026

Dingshu is known as the 'pottery capital' of China. It is particularly famous for the zisha ('purple sand') teapots which have been produced there at least since the 16th Century.

This distinctive clay is said to make the best vessels for brewing tea, with the porous material absorbing flavours and aromas. To avoid bad odours accumulating a teapot should be used regularly and dried properly before being put away.

We were incredibly lucky last year to be visited by Dr Yupin Chung from the University of Glasgow, who was able to help us fulfil the request of the skilled artisan who created this teapot that it be seasoned. She also demonstrated how the teapot would be used in a tea ceremony and shared her extensive knowledge on how it was made.

📸 2004.183 A-B Teapot, Dingshu, China. Maker: Ge Taozhong, 2004.

Video description: The hands of a woman place a small teapot in a lined bowl, before covering it with boiling water and tea leaves. After allowing it to sit in the bowl she removes the teapot and dries it. Captions on screen read, "How do you care for a Dingshu teapot? This beautiful little teapot is made from unglazed zisha clay. Seasoning it with boiling water helps clean the pot as the porous nature of the clay absorbs the taste and smell of the tea brewed inside. Including tea leaves in the seasoning process can enhance the taste of tea future brews. Once the boiling water and tea leaves have been added, the teapot and its lid are left within the bowl. Some time later... The teapot is carefully removed and excess water tipped out. Once it has been thoroughly dried it will be ready to brew a lovely cup of green tea."

20/05/2026

It's , so why not explore the photographic collections we care for via our online exhibitions? From spirit-mediumship in Singapore to the evolution of Bhaktapur's Durbar Square, you're sure to find something that sparks your interest!

Discover our online exhibitions now: https://www.maadigitallab.org/online-exhibitions/

📸 P.36602. Trichur temple gate [cropped], Trichur, India. Photographer: ?L. K. Ananthakrishna Iyer, late 19th/early 20th Century.

📸 P.154945.RPT A group of young Māori women dancing kapa haka [cropped], Tūrangawaewae Marae, Aotearoa New Zealand. Photographer: Axel Poignant, 1969.

📸 N.53918.ELT Dang-ki (spirit medium) performance [cropped], Hoon Sian Keng Temple, Singapore. Photographer: Alan Elliott, 1950-1.

📸 N.103903.WIL Durbar square [cropped], Bhaktapur, Nepal. Photographer: Margaret Williamson, 1974.

Address

University Of Cambridge, Downing Street
Cambridge
CB23DZ

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10:30am - 5pm
Sunday	12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+441223333516

Website

http://maa.cam.ac.uk/

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