Wesleyan University Archaeology and Anthropology Collections



	Collections Access Featured Objects Contact Information Archaeology Program Home	Archaeology and Anthropology Collections Wesleyan University's Archaeology and Anthropology Collections contain over 35,000 objects from around the world plus fossil casts and other non-cultural items (e.g., animal skeletons) used in the hands-on teaching of archaeology, biological anthropology and comparative anatomy. The core of the collections consists of archaeological and ethnographic objects that were part of the former Wesleyan Museum in Judd Hall from 1871-1957. Archaeological materials range from stone tools produced by human ancestors in the Middle East roughly 400,000 years ago to nineteenth-century ceramics and glass once used by local residents. There are also substantial pre- and proto-historic Native American holdings and small amounts of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican and ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian materials. Ethnographic materials included baskets, clothing, coins, pipes, pottery, personal ornaments, toys, tools and weapons from all over the world. Of particular note are fine collections of mid-nineteenth-century carved wooden implements from Oceania and early-twentieth-century Hopi pottery. Together, these diverse holdings form an irreplaceable resource with intrinsic cultural value and great potential educational value. Although the faculty, staff and students in the Archaeology Program (and related disciplines) have made a concerted effort in recent years to document the collections, upgrade their storage conditions and facilitate their use, the full potential of these collections has yet to be realized. Pictured above, left to right: Chipped stone handaxe, Mugharet et-Tabun (Levant), ca. 400,000 years ago Red-figured lekanis lid, Sorrento (southern Italy), ca. 350-325 BCE Child's moccasins, eastern Great Lakes region (North America), early 20^th century Open-pontilled fluted cone or "umbrella" ink bottle ca. 1840-1866, excavated in Middletown, CT Silver tetradrachm, Athens (Attica, Greece), after 393 BCE