Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

📸 DG.122644.OLT Torgny Oberg and his pet Argali, ?China/Kazakhstan/Mongolia. Photographer: Owen Lattimore, c.1928-38.
🔗 collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/photographs/415912/

A man in western clothes stands next to a ram with large horns, cradling its head in his hands.

It's #NationalLoveYourPetDay so here's a photo of Torgny Oberg with his pet mountain sheep. Argali can be found across Eastern and Central Asia, so unfortunately we're not sure exactly where or when this image was made, but we can all agree this ram is clearly a sweetie.

A child sits at a craft table creating a mask from a paper plate. The design of the eyes and mouth have a Spiderman/Venom vibe.

In our latest blog post Charlotte, one of our @camunivmuseums.bsky.social Museum Experience interns, reflects on how hands-on research, visitor engagement, and leading creative activities, have helped her build confidence, skills, and meaningful connections: www.maadigitallab.org/blog/2026/02...

📸 1885.3.4 L Stela E plaster cast, Guatemala, Modern copy of Classical Maya.
🔗 collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/560575/

See what other nearby events you can drop into tonight on the @camunivmuseums.bsky.social website: museums.cam.ac.uk/theme/twilight 2/2

A plaster cast of the face of a Maya king, which has been lit from below. He wears a large headdress and ear ornaments.

Today’s the day! #TwilightAtTheMuseums gets glowing here from 4:30pm and we can’t wait to see you all.
We'll be closed between 4pm and 4:30pm to allow our staff time to prepare for the event. 1/2

📸 1997.216 Paper cut horses, Ih Juu Aimag, Inner Mongolia. Collector: Dr Caroline Humphrey.
🔗 collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/517639/

Don't forget you can join us as we celebrate the #YearOfTheHorse with free family drop-in sessions on Saturday 21 February 2026, 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm and learn Chinese calligraphy, create paper-cut art, and enjoy colouring activities! 2/2

Four horses creating by cutting a single piece of red paper. Three of the horses are grouped together whilst the other stands slightly apart bucking its back legs.

Happy #LunarNewYear to everyone celebrating! Today marks the start of the #YearOfTheHorse, so we had to share this intricate paper-cut art. Sadly, we don't know who made it, but they've skilfully managed to create a sense of movement, power and energy. 1/2

📸 2025.25 Gold and enamel posey ring, Childerley, England, c.1500-1700.
🔗 collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/629048/

Video description: One of the museum's curators talks about and holds a small gold ring decorated with crystal, five tiny hearts and an inscription on the inside.

As the perfect #ValentinesDay gift this beautiful little ring is now on display at MAA. Since filming our Archaeology team have carried out further research and now think the inscription inside reads ‘As I prove I wish your love’ - what do you think?

📸 P.6172.ACH1 Portrait of a Nepali woman, ?Nepal. Photographer: Unknown, ?1930s.
🔗 collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/photographs/299444/

The head and torso of a woman wearing a bakku (shawl), as well as a decorative ga’u (amulet box) on a beaded necklace. The ga’u is in the shape of two intersecting squares and is decorated with small stones.

Ga’us, or amulet boxes, like the one worn by the Nepali woman in this photograph contained prayers, copies of sacred texts, or items which had been blessed. They were intended to protect their wearer from evil.
#FridayTheThirteenth

📸 1997.227 Paper cut horse, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. Collector: Dr Caroline Humphrey.
🔗 collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/517650/

A paper cut artwork featuring a black horse and birds on a red background.

To celebrate #LunarNewYear and the start of the #YearOfTheHorse we're running free family drop-in sessions on 21/02/2026, 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm. Join us to learn Chinese calligraphy, create paper-cut art, and enjoy colouring activities!

Find out more on our website:
maa.cam.ac.uk/lunar-new-ye...

📸 1885.3.14 Plaster cast featuring Lady K'abal Xook, Yaxchilan, Mexico, Modern copy of Classic Maya.
🔗 collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/5604...

A member of the museum's staff stands beside a plaster cast of a Maya monument whilst a child and a teenager stand in front of it. The child shines a torch onto the face of one of the figures depicted on the cast.

Are you counting down the days to #TwilightAtTheMuseums? 🎉🌟

Bring a torch, grab a trail, and join us on an after-hours museum adventure with your family on 18/02/2026, 4:30-7:30pm.

Find out more on the @camunivmuseums.bsky.social website:
museums.cam.ac.uk/events/twilight-maa-all-glistens-not-gold

A brass figurine in the shape of a crocodile with its head raised and holding a catfish in its mouth.

So proud of the catfish its caught! 😍

📸 Z 25475 B Abrammo (goldweight), Ashanti, Ghana. Source: Unknown.
🔗 collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/5665...

5,300-year-old ‘bow drill’ rewrites story of ancient Egyptian tools A new study reveals that Egyptians were using a mechanically sophisticated drilling tool far earlier than previously suggested.

Find out more by visiting the University of Newcastle's website: www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articl...

📸 1924.948 A Metal drill, Badari, Egypt. Predynastic.
🔗 collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/4457...

A hand wearing a white glove holds a long thin piece of corroded metal. The remains of a piece of leather is wrapped around the shaft.

It might not look like much, but researchers visiting the collections at MAA have recently identified this 5,300-year-old piece of metal as the earliest known metal drill from Egypt. Amazingly it still has a piece of the leather bowstring (used to rotate the drill) wrapped around the shaft!

A heavy brass penannular bracelet composed of heavy convex band decorated with heavy slanting bands.

A small number of artefacts will remain at the museum on loan, allowing them to be accessed and appreciated by visitors, students and researchers. Meanwhile the transfer of the remaining artefacts back to Nigeria will be arranged in due course. 3/3

📸 Ẹgba, Benin City, Nigeria. Image credit: MAA

A bronze figurine of a leopard with raised spots, attached by the head to a chain.

These artefacts, made of brass, ivory and wood, were taken when British soldiers sacked Benin City in 1897. Their return follows increased national and international support for the repatriation of artefacts seized through colonial violence. 2/3

📸 Emwiegbe, Benin City, Nigeria. Image credit: MAA

A bronze head wearing a beaded headdress with sections hanging down beside the face alongside braided hair. Circular necklaces cover the neck all the way up to the chin.

Legal ownership of 116 Benin artefacts cared for at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology has been transferred to Nigeria's National commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM). 1/3

📸 Uhunmwun Elao, Benin City, Nigeria. Image credit: Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

A rectangular piece of fabric woven in orange, purple, red and green, with a design consisting of a central diamond-shape filled with small triangles and with diagonal stripes around it. One quarter of the textile is heavily faded.

📸 E 1911.111.131 Saput angan, Kota Belud District Borneo. Collector and donor: Ivor Evans.
🔗 collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/objects/497506/

A rectangular piece of fabric woven in orange, purple, red and green, with a design consisting of a central diamond-shape filled with small triangles and with diagonal stripes around it. One quarter of the textile is heavily faded.

A piece of fabric folded into a square. Some of the colours it was woven with have faded, only leaving shades of red, orange, and yellow.

This beautiful textile reminds us of the damage light can cause. Kept folded for years one quarter of it is noticeably faded. To help prevent this we can reduce UV levels by covering windows, use LEDs bulbs and dim lights over objects made from fragile materials.

📸 P.36567.ACH2 Antharjanam (a Namboothiri woman), Kerala, India. Photographer: L. K. Ananthakrishna Iyer, c.1901-8.
🔗 collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/photographs/329839/

A woman poses with her marakkuda (umbrella) in front of her house. She holds a sheet-like garment wrapped around her body and wears numerous necklaces and bracelets.

Check our new online exhibition which explores photographs made by anthropologist L. K. Ananthakrishna Iyer, situating them within the context of caste, reform, and cultural transformation in early 20th-century Kerala. 👇
museums.cam.ac.uk/story/namboo...

Booking is essential, but it is a Friends only event. Join the Friends using the link below and get access to their exclusive lecture programme, behind-the-scenes tours, & newsletter.
 
Discounted University of Cambridge student membership available.
maa.cam.ac.uk/support-us/become-friend-maa [2/2]