The collections
The Museum of Cultural History has the largest archaeological and ethnographic collections in Norway, including finds from prehistoric times to the reformation, and with ethnographic and numismatic objects from all parts of the world until modern times. Our archaeological finds and collected anthropological material form the basis for constantly new research. Explore a selection of our collections that have been made digitally available.
Etnographic collection – World Cultures
View more artefacts in the Unimus Portal
There are more than three million objects in the Museum of Cultural History’s digital collections.
The museum’s collections have been built up from the beginning of the 19th century until today. Names, object designations, and descriptions are part of the museum’s history and archives, and must be read in the context of the time when they were written.
Read more about artefacts in the collections
The Museum of Cultural History holds many intriguing artefacts in its collections, and each has its own history.
About the collections
- The largest collections of the Museum of Cultural History are The Collection of Norwegian Antiquities, The Ethnographic Collection and The Coin Cabinet. The Collection of Norwegian Antiquities includes archaeological material from the Stone Age to the reformation, including the Viking Ship Collection and The Collection of Medieval Ecclesiastical Art.
- The Ethnographic Collection has objects from all continents, from different historical periods until today. Read more about Ethnographic Collection.
- The Coin Cabinet administers the largest numismatic collection in the country, with coins from Classical Antiquity to those most recently coined in Norway.
- The minor collections of the Museum of Cultural History consist of the Collection of Classical Antiquities, the Egyptian Collection and the Runic Archive, which all include unique objects.
- The collections of the Museum of Cultural History hold Norway’s largest collection of ancient and medieval artefacts, church art, runic inscriptions, coins and other moneys, decorations and medals, antiquities and ethnographic objects, and are the result of almost 200 years of accumulation.
- The collections are the core of the museum’s activities, and form the basis of the museum’s research, education and heritage protection policies. The collections consist of all the objects owned by the museum, the documentation connected to these objects, and other archive material.
- Only some of the objects are exhibited. The remainder are kept in storage, undergoing a restoration process, being used for research purposes, or on loan to other museums or research institutions. The museum is working to describe and catalogue all of its objects so they can be listed in databases that will be made available to the public.
- The Museum of Cultural History must manage objects and collections in a responsible manner. The collections are important sources of knowledge and cultural heritage, both in the present and for future generations. The museum welcomes enquiries concerning access and ownership of collections and objects (repatriation), and, where appropriate, can also take the initiative in establishing dialogue and cooperation. Read more about ownership of museum objects.
- The collections that the Museum of University History works with are important for understanding the university and the history of science. Information about the things and the people who used them is a great resource of knowledge. Go to the Museum of University History to see their collections.