Archaeology Collections

Our archaeology collections comprise site assemblages and stray finds, covering a wide spectrum from the Mesolithic up until recent times.  Over this expanse of time, common themes can be drawn out through the objects in our care.

There are approximately 1,200 archaeology boxes in our stores from 37 excavation assemblages, including human remains and approximately 300 stray finds, plus the Udal assemblages which are presently stored on the mainland. The material has been awarded to the museum through Treasure Trove Scotland or the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel (SAFAP). 

Since 2021, with the help of funding from Museums Galleries Scotland, we have been able to employ a project archaeologist to work on cataloguing the archaeology collections with the aim of increasing our knowledge and making them more accessible. To learn more visit the Sonraichte Project and Archaeology Awakened pages. These are the first two phases of what will be a larger exercise to document all our archaeology collections.

Below are samples from our collection.

Click on the images below to scroll through our image gallery: