The Ark

What you can expect

Learn more about our collections and what we must do to care for them. It’s essential work and explains why the gallery contains such a mix of items.

You’ll see a case that spans a whole wall and is full of items ranging from a mammoth’s jawbone to a model theatre.

Each object was selected by a member of our team, and the accompanying label explains why they chose it. The contents of the gallery can change more often than those in other galleries.

Don’t miss our latest display on archaeological treasures featuring our most recent treasure acquisitions.

Got a question ?

Our curators and find liaison officers are on hand, and they have pulled together answers to the most commonly asked questions.

About our collection

Our collection has over 57,000 objects. These include pottery, animal bone, worked flint, stone, wood, copper alloy, iron, gold, silver, and human remains. All of these objects have been found in Oxfordshire.

Curator's favourite object

The curator's favourite object changes frequently. This week, it is the statue of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, and victory. Minerva also sponsors the arts. The volunteer team created a 3D model of the statue, which you can handle to feel the folds of Minerva's drapery.

Last week, the favourite object was the badge of Thomas Becket, gifted to us by a metal detector user, making it extra special.

Objects contributing to research

The Bronze Age palstave hoard is being researched by the University of Leicester. They will carry out x-ray fluorescence (XRF) to determine the metals and their proportions used to make the axes. They will also study the wear of the axes to understand how they were used.

Portable antiquities scheme

Every year, many thousands of archaeological objects are discovered by members of the public, mostly by metal-detector users, but also by people out walking, digging their gardens, or going about their everyday work. These finds can tell us much about the past, how and where people used to live, and the types of objects they made and used.

Find out more about the scheme on their website.

Types of archaeological finds to record

We would like to see everything you have found – not just metal objects. We try to record all items made before about 1540, but selectively record more modern finds. Your local finds liaison officer will decide what to record on the PAS database.

Metal-detecting finds

When you go metal-detecting, you may pick up worked flints and pieces of pottery as well as metal objects. We would like to see these finds as they are also important archaeologically.

Contact us

Not found the answer to your question? Get in touch with the team by sending us a message.