Durham University Collections
There are three museums at Durham University: the Oriental Museum, the Museum of Archaeology and the Castle Museum.
The Oriental Museum
boasts a huge range of artworks and archaeological artefacts from the great cultures of northern Africa and Asia; there are more than 32,000 objects, ranging in date from prehistory to the present day. The Ancient Egyptian and Chinese collections hold ÔÇÿDesignated Status ‘ in recognition of their national and international importance.
The Museum of Archaeology
is largely focused on the archaeology of North East England but the collection also includes national and international artefacts. Much of the collection was excavated by members of Durham University ‘s Department of Archaeology and is accompanied by detailed archival material.
The Castle Museum
is part of the Durham UNESCO World Heritage Site and holds collections relating to the history of Durham Castle, the Prince Bishops, and University College, as well as oil paintings, tapestries, arms and armour, silver, crockery, and furniture.
Palace Green Library
houses the Durham University Archives and Special Collections. There are:
- Over 70,000 books printed before 1850 including 300 incunables
- Over 100 Medieval manuscripts
- 3,400 metres of archives and artefacts
- Over 30,000 maps and prints and 100,000 photographs
Palace Green Library also houses three family libraries of significant historical interest: the Cosin Library, the Bamburgh Library and the Routh Library.
Durham University is home to a collection of around 6000 Western Art works, largely from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and is especially strong in print-based work. The collection has been built up over an extended time period but particularly so in the last five years. It features work by some of the twentieth century ‘s most significant and prolific artists.
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