Pitt Rivers Museum

Pitt Rivers Museum was founded in 1884 when General Pitt Rivers, a famous figure in the field of archaeology and evolutionary anthropology, gave his collection to the University. The donation contained more than 18 000 objects. The collection now boasts over half a million objects, many of which were donated by early anthropologists and explorers. The collections include photographic and sound archives which contain early records of great importance from around the world.

The museum houses ethnographic and archaeological objects such as items collected during Captain Cook's Second Voyage in 1773-74. There is also a wide range of handwoven textiles and looms and a collection of ceremonial brasses and ivories from the Kingdom of Benin; masks from Africa, Melanesia and North America; sculptures in wood, pottery, metal and stone from all over the world. There are also boats, baskets in all possible shapes and sizes, pottery from Africa and the Americas, jewellery and body decoration, locks and keys, tools and weapons and music instruments.

In most ethnographic and archaeological museums the displays are arranged according to geographical or cultural areas. At the Pitt Rivers Museum they are arranged according to type: music instruments, weapons, masks, textiles, jewellery, and tools.

The museum is open to members of the public from Tuesday to Sunday at 10h00am until 16h30pm. On Mondays it is open from 12h00 until 16h30pm.