Donating objects

Fibre glass pratima (idol) of the Hindu goddess Durga slaying Mahisha, made by Mintu Paul. Donated by the Indian Cultural Society. MAA 2017.27.

About MAA’s collections

Since its foundation, MAA has received artefacts and collections generously donated by archaeologists, fieldworkers, collectors, members of the public, and by a range of societies and institutions. In recent years, MAA has also been presented with important artworks by Indigenous artists and communities.

This page covers the donation process and explains why we may accept some objects and not others. Please do not bring your objects to the museum or send them by post without talking to us first.

What do we collect?

The Museum’s collections consist of material from all parts of the world and from all periods of human history. Today we look to complement our existing collections whilst maintaining our legal and ethical obligations. We focus on local archaeology acquisitions through individual donations and the Treasure Act, and historic ethnographic collections and contemporary artworks. We especially welcome donations from metal detectorists and local landowners.

MAA also collects archives relating to the collections as well as anthropological and archaeological photographs.

What don’t we collect?

MAA cannot accept archaeological objects that came into the UK after 1970 due to the UNESCO convention for the protection of cultural property. We may already have similar objects, they might require significant conservation, or it may be your objects don’t fit within the museum’s collecting policy. 

What to do if you wish to offer us an object? 

Please contact the relevant Collections Manager if you are thinking of donating an object to the museum. 

Imogen Gunn (Archaeology)
Rachel Hand (Anthropology)
Jocelyne Dudding (Photographs)

If you are unsure which department you should contact, or if the object(s) you are interested in donating range across multiple subject areas, please contact the Museum Administrator via email, by calling +44 (0)1223 333510, or by writing to:

The Museum Administrator
Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Downing Street
Cambridge CB2 3DZ

You should send photographs of your object(s) and give as much detail as possible about who collected them, where from, when, and how they were collected such as excavation or auction. All this helps the curators decide if MAA is the right fit. If your object compliments the collections the curator will propose it at the next Acquisitions Committee, which meets termly.

What happens if we decide to take your object into our collections?

You will be notified of the Acquisitions Committee results as soon as possible. If they agree that the museum can acquire your donation the relevant Collections Manager will contact you to arrange for the object to come to the museum. It will then be accessioned into the permanent collections.

Sometimes the museum will suggest your object be acquired by the Education Department and be put into the handling collections. This means that it will be used for educational purposes such as in classes with school children, community group activities, or outreach programming.

What happens if we can’t take your object into our collections?

Please don’t be offended, we unfortunately cannot acquire all donations. It may be for a variety of reasons we can’t accept your object. We may say no if the objects do not fit within MAA’s collecting policy, if we have similar objects already in the collections, or if your objects are too large for us to look after. We may suggest that your object be offered to another museum or organisation that would be a better fit, which could be overseas.

Thank you!

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss making a donation. And thank you for considering MAA as a home for your collection.