University museum collections

The first recorded appearance of archaeological items in the University was in the 18th century, when various "curiosities" were exhibited in the University Library. These were mainly "ethnographic" items, but they also included an Egyptian mummy in its case. Sadly, this cannot now be traced. Serious archaeological collecting began after the foundation, in 1838, of the St Andrews Literary and Philosophical Society, which quickly developed a museum jointly with the University. Amongst the museum's first acquisitions were the "curiosities" formerly held in the Library, but more foreign items were soon donated to the Society, as well as local finds, including many excavated by the Society. By the end of the 19th century, the Museum had considerable collections of "urns and sculptured stones" (including the famous St Andrews Sarcophagus), as well as seals and coins.

By 1904 the Literary and Philosophical Society was in terminal decline and it decided to hand over the collections of the Museum, mainly to its partner, the University. It determined that the archaeological collections relating to St Andrews and its neighbourhood should be handed over to any body that would provide a building in St Andrews for their display. Subsequently, the important collections excavated from the Cathedral grounds were passed to the Cathedral Museum and are now in the care of Historic Scotland. The remaining local material was retained by the University for a time, and indeed was augmented by further finds in the 20th century. In the 1970s these collections, were displayed in the University Archaeological Museum in the Swallowgate building, but in the late 1980s were transferred to local authority care after the closure of this Museum. Meanwhile, the University also received all the Society's foreign archaeological material and after World War II major additions were made to these collections, including the Lacaille collections of stone-age tools and copies (made by Lacaille) and finds excavated by Professor T.B. Mitford in Cyprus and Kathleen Kenyon in Jericho. These collections also were exhibited in the Swallowgate Museum, but after its closure most were transferred to the National Museums of Scotland.

By the early 1990s, virtually the only archaeological items remaining in the University were the modest collections of ancient and mediaeval coins. However, with the recent development of museum studies and the re-introduction of archaeological teaching, there has been a revival of interest in archaeological collections in the University. Thanks to the generosity of a local resident, part of the former Archaeological Museum in the Swallowgate has been restocked with exhibits, mostly bronze age, iron age and classical material from Cyprus. There are also a few archaeological items still in the University Library, including a Cuneiform tablet and an early plaster cast of the Rosetta Stone. The 7th Earl of Elgin, who was closely involved in Britain's acquisition of the Rosetta Stone, but is better known for acquiring the "Elgin marbles" was an alumnus of the University of St Andrews.

Greek Red-Figure pot,
5th century BC.

Bronze-age bowl
from Cyprus.