The Museum of Ancient Cultures is a leading museum of Macquarie University which supports a range of museums, collections, art galleries, a sculpture park and herbarium. More information »
It is an archaeological museum that introduces modern minds to a number of cultures from the ancient world through its displays and exhibitions, teaching and outreach programs, its research and publications and its involvement in the activities of the University.
The Museum of Ancient Cultures was originally founded in 1974 as the Ancient History Teaching Collection (AHTC). Various members of staff including Mr Graham Joyner, Professor Edwin Judge and Professor Bruce Harris (all now retired) were eager to see the development of such a collection.
In 1994, following the publication of two extensive, groundbreaking national enquiries into University Museum and Collections - Cinderella Collections (1996) and Transforming Cinderella Collections (1998) - and the building of a tailor-made space in Building X5B, the name of the Ancient History Teaching Collection was changed to the Museum of Ancient Cultures.
The development of an archaeological collection, especially of inscriptional material, was seen as an excellent adjunct to the study of Ancient History from a source-based approach. It was also the view of our founding scholars that a collection of archaeological material that represented the every-day life of past cultures would be a very useful way to explore the arts, crafts, technology and design of ancient peoples as it reflected changes to their social, economic, political and religious development.
The Exhibition Area
The main display area of the Museum is divided largely on geographical grounds with some thematic displays interspersed throughout. This area, along with the Papyrus research room and the Gallery are high security areas with environmental controls to regulate temperature and relative humidity, set at international standards.
The displayed areas cover:
- Ancient Egypt - spanning from the Pre-Dynastic to the Late periods
- Ancient Greek culture - from Minoan and Mycenaean material to the Hellenistic period
- Ancient Roman culture - from the Villanovan and Etruscan periods to the fifth century AD
- The culture of Ancient Cyprus - from Early Cypriot to the Late Iron Ages
- Some of the cultures of the Ancient Near East - from the early 3rd millennium BC to the late Iron Age.
The Papyrus Collection
The Museum also has the largest papyrus collection in the southern hemisphere with material written in Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphs, hieratic, Hebrew and Coptic.
This is housed in a purpose-built research room. The papyrus fragments are stored horizontally, sandwiched between sheets of cleaned, 3mm glass in specially adapted metal cabinets. The trays of these cabinets, which are powder coated and have no off-gassing, are lined with acid free paper to cushion the stored, sandwiched papyrus fragments. These are arranged numerically in the cabinets.
The Gallery
We also have a small Gallery for short-term exhibitions. In the past there have been exhibitions as diverse as SilverPlus , an exhibit of exquisite modern works by some of Australia's leading silver smiths to exhibitions of art works and paintings such as that showing the works of Don Barker.
Currently the Gallery has a photographic and illustrative exhibition of Pompeii, highlighting the excavation work of the Anglo-American Project and the ceramic research being carried put by Ms Jaye Pont one of the University's PhD candidates who excavates at Pompeii.
This exhibition is particularly useful to those senior HSC students participating in the Museum's education program.
New Acquisitions
The Museum collection is continuously growing and new acquisitions are displayed in separate cases in the Main Exhibition Area until they are added to the main display of their relevant cultures.
Where possible we add to our collection with material that we excavate, when such material is released to us by the relevant authorities.
We also have loan material made available to us by other museums, such as the Australian Museum, the Powerhouse Museum and the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney , as well as the Institute of Archaeology, Melbourne. Loan material has also come to us from private individuals and collectors. We are grateful for this loan material and thank our lenders for their consideration and support.
Over the years we have also been fortunate enough to acquire material through benefaction and donation from both individuals as well as supporting organizations such as the History Teachers' Association (NSW) , the Macquarie Ancient History Association (MAHA) and the Society for the Study of Early Christianity (SSEC). We publicly acknowledge the on-going support of our donors and benefactors and thank them for it.
The Museum has also grown through the purchase of material, often from international sources, and usually from registered dealers and auction houses, once the University is satisfied about object provenance.
Donations and Benefactions
If you or your company would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the Museum, or If you would like to make a benefaction to the University, to support the Museum, by making suitable provision in your will, please contact the manager, Karl Van Dyke on (02) 9850 9263 karl.vandyke@mq.edu.au to discuss details and to make arrangements.
The Foundation for the Study of Ancient Cultures
http://www.humanities.mq.edu.au/foundations.htm
This Foundation was set up using a very generous donation by Mrs Monica Anderson to support the growth, development and expansion of activities by the Museum of Ancient Cultures.
Donations to this Foundation are tax-deductible.
If you would like to make a donation to this Foundation or would like to set up a Foundation of your own on behalf of your family or company to help the further development of the Museum, please contact the manager, Karl Van Dyke on (02) 9850 9263 or e-mail: karl.vandyke@mq.edu.au to discuss details and to make arrangements.
The Sir Asher Joel Foundation
http://www.humanities.mq.edu.au/foundations.htm
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Indigenous Acknowledgement
The Museum of Ancient Cultures publicly acknowledges the Ku-ring-gai people on whose land this museum is situated and further, recognises the cultural and heritage traditions and contributions of the indigenous people of Australia.
Museum History
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