Services
Identification Service
An identification service for coins and archaeological objects is held on the first Wednesday of each month from 12 – 4pm, in ‘Exploring the Past’ on the Lower Ground Floor (Gallery 1 on the map). We will aim to identify all archaeological objects and coins brought to the service, but regret that we cannot take items in, or provide either valuation or authentication of objects. Further information is available on the Ashmolean Identification Service web page.
We regret that we are unable identify Egyptian material during the current redevelopment of the Egyptian galleries. We expect this service to resume in December 2011, following the reopening of the galleries.
Visiting the Collections
Von Bothmer Study Room, Floor 3
The Von Bothmer Study Room is available for research visits and University teaching Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 – 13:00, and 14:00 – 17:00 when the Museum is open.
Appointments to consult Department of Antiquities’ collections in the Study Room are available on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis. In order to make an appointment please contact the Department of Antiquities Administrator by email at antiquities@ashmus.ox.ac.uk or by post as far as possible in advance and provide details about your research, a list of the material you wish to consult, and two or three possible dates for your visit. Students should also provide a reference from their academic supervisor.
Please note that there are a limited number of working spaces in the Study Room (4-6) and all individuals in a group should book separately. Additional researchers unnamed in the booking will not be admitted.
Off-Site Store
All Department of Antiquities object collections that are not on display or reserved for teaching remain in storage off-site where they were housed during the museum’s recent redevelopment. All of the department’s archive collections also remain packed and in storage off-site.
There is very limited research access to objects and archives at the off-site store. Only one researcher can be admitted at a time and must be accompanied by a curator at all times. The Department of Antiquities Administrator will advise you if the material that you wish to consult is held at this location.
CLOSURES AND DELAYS
Egyptian collections: There can be no research access to the Egyptian collections during the redevelopment of the Egyptian galleries. The collections will be closed from 1 November 2010 until January 2012.
Minoan and Greek collections: It will not be possible to consult the Minoan or Greek collections from 1 December 2010 until after the opening of the exhibition ‘Heracles to Alexander the Great: Treasures from the Royal Capital of Macedon’ on 7 April 2011
Research Projects
Researchers applying for external grant funding to work with Department of Antiquities’ collections are strongly advised to discuss the project with the Department and to obtain all necessary permissions before they make their application.
Researchers with existing research projects who wish to work with Department of Antiquities’ collections should contact the Department as soon as the need is identified.
The Museum aims to make every effort to accommodate the needs of research projects; however, there are practical constraints of space, time and staff resources. Ideally, researchers should contact the department to discuss their needs well in advance of the start of any project.
University Teaching
Departmental curators can either hold teaching sessions for University classes, or can assist University Lecturers in selecting material for their own teaching or handling sessions. All teaching sessions involving objects are supervised at all times by Museum staff.
The Ashmolean welcomes University teaching from the collections, and the Von Bother Study Room adjoins a collections store in order to facilitate such activity. University lecturers should contact the Head of Department and relevant curator(s) to discuss their needs as far in advance as possible to ensure that the Study Room and appropriate material is available.