It’s been a quiet couple of months here in the archaeology department, with the Easter holidays putting an end to teaching and the hustle and bustle of undergraduate lectures. Today, however, the department was busy once more for the official unveiling of the Desmond Collins teaching collection – a collection of bone, lithics, pottery and casts given to the department by the late Desmond Collins.

Professor Bruce Bradley gave us a brief insight into the fascinating life of the man responsible for this collection and eloquently described how influential, useful and vital it will prove for future teaching in the department. Having already used some of the hominin casts in a Widening Participation lecture with Year 12 students I can certainly attest to how much they engage learning in the classroom. Professor Bradley praised the family of Desmond Collins, calling the collection his “lasting legacy” to teaching.

The collection contains hundreds of artefacts, including Romano-British pottery, Acheulean hand-axes, casts of Neanderthal skulls and prehistoric artefacts and stone tools from some of the most famous archaeological sites. It’s a wonderful collection and we’re so grateful for its donation.

Staff and students admiring the collection

Written by Emily Johnson