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Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

 

Explore the museum's treasures...

...with one of our illustrated trails. Created for adults, families and children each themed trail takes you on a journey of discovery, from the emergence of Buddhism to the rise in popularity of tea drinking. Each object tells a story and there are thousands of stories to be heard. 

Trails are free to download and print, or can be saved onto your phone or tablet. We suggest printing them out for the best experience. A limited selection of trails are available on request for free from reception.


Beneath Our Feet Family Trail

What do archaeological finds reveal about people who lived in the past?

Inspired by our current exhibition Beneath Our Feet: Archaeology of the Cambridgeshire Region, explore some of the wonderful archaeological finds from Cambridgeshire in our new Family Trail.

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If downloading this trail to print, use the link above and print the trail double-sided, and then fold in half to create a booklet.


Twilight with the Museums: Bumper Twilight 2023 Trail

Made for half term 2023 and as part of the University of Cambridge Museums Twilight with the Museums programme, our new family-friendly trail is packed full of things to do and mysterious objects to find! With activities inspired by our current exhibition COLOUR: Art, Science & Power, as well as some of our best-known and more hidden pieces on display from both archaeology and anthropology collections. 

PDF icon Download the PDF

If downloading this trail to print, use the link above and print the trail double-sided, and then fold in half to create a booklet.


Life through African Artisans: Black History Month 2022

Carvers are extremely important in societies across the world. They are highly skilled, but their objects are used in rituals, traditions and day-to-day-life; some artisans are even said to have spiritual abilities.

This trail will take you on a journey from Africa to the Caribbean and Britain, to see the wonderful world of carvings and what they mean to people across the world.

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Want to find out more about some of the objects made by these skilled Artisans?

Download a version of our museum colouring sheets to learn about some of the amazing characters, and print them off to colour in yourself.

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Colour: Art, Science & Power Family Trail

What does colour mean to you?

Inspired by our current exhibition Colour: Art, Power & Science, explore the many wonderful colours around the museum in our new Colour Family Trail.

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Explore and Draw

Explore and draw at MAA.

Take a journey through the museum to find the objects listed, and make your own masterpiece!

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Overlooked Treasures


Created to celebrate the University of Cambridge's Summer with the Museums and suitable for families and young children, our Overlooked Treasures trail highlights objects that can easily be overlooked amongst our stunning collections. Don't forget to pick up a pencil and clipboard as there are challenges to complete along the way!

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Confronting Cultures: the complexity of the world around us


'Confronting Cultures' is about looking at different cultures around the world through objects that defy easy categorisation and understanding. Use this trail to find some of the less understood objects on display.

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Tea at the MAA


The British drink 100 million cups of tea each day, but where does tea come from and how did it spread around the world? Its growth can be boiled down to three main factors: Buddhism, trade and colonialism.

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Buddhism


Today, Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world. Explore Buddhism throughout time and across the world with this gallery trail. 

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Top 9 Trails 

Can you find our pick of the best objects in the Museum? Click the link below to download the trail, and get hunting!

This trail is available in six languages.

Think we missed something? Let us know your favourite object by tagging #MAACambridge on social media.

 

PDF icon Museum top 9 (English)

PDF icon Los 9 objetos más curiosos del museo (Español)

PDF icon 博物館前十大展品 (繁體中文​)

PDF icon 博物馆“十最” (简体中文)

PDF icon Top 9 del museo (Italiano)

PDF icon Top 9 do museu (Português)


Trails for Children

Designed for our younger visitors, these trails include fun, creative activities to explore either Bronze Age pottery in Britain, or masks and headdresses from across the world. Print them off either as part of a visit or for an afternoon at home.


British Bronze Age Pottery


Did you know that people started making pottery around 8000 years ago? Explore the pottery of the Bronze Age through a series of fun activities. 

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Mask Trail - 1


Explore masks and headdresses from around the world, and design your own! 

Trail 1 includes objects from England, Torres Strait, Papua New Guinea, and Guatemala.

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Mask Trail - 2


Explore masks and headdresses from around the world, and design your own!

Trail 2 includes objects from Myanmar, Vanuatu, Japan, and Benin.

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Two million years of human history. One million artefacts. Countless astonishing stories.