Managing archaeological collections

London Museum’s archaeological collection covers London’s history from the Neolithic to the mid-20th century. With finds from every excavation in the Greater London area making their way to London Museum, there is no better place to trace the history of our iconic city.

Around six million finds make up our Guinness record-holding archaeological archive collection. But how did these items come to London Museum, and continue to do so? Intriguingly, construction has a big role to play. Interest in archaeology has always been there, and we owe much to volunteers and amateur archaeologists, alongside the experts and professionals in the early 20th century. However, it was mainly from the 1970s onwards that there was a boom in excavations due to the vast rebuilding of London.

Since the mid-1900s, archaeology in London has always been strongly linked with construction. It has since played a fundamental part in the planning and development of the city. Currently, as many as 400 archaeological excavations take place in London every year. This fast-moving environment gave rise to ‘commercial archaeology’. This means that excavating and collecting archaeological artefacts were no longer a job for just museums and their staff, but there came archaeological contractors specialised in the excavation, study and archiving of archaeology.

At the end of the excavation, once the material found has been analysed, all archaeological finds, the records produced before, during and after the excavation, and all the digital documents are collected in ‘site archives’. These are then given to London Museum. We look after them in perpetuity, making them available to the public and researchers, through our galleries, special exhibitions and events, and for study.

You can find more information on how we care for and manage objects in our collection, and while most of our archives and stores are closed till further notice, our Access and Enquiries page suggests ways through which you can get in touch.

If you’re an archaeological contractor and would like to get in touch with us regarding requirements, charges and standards for submitting round-ups and archives, then we have all the necessary information here:

The museum has a dedicated curator for human remains, who cares for these individuals under licence from the Ministry of Justice, and our human remains policy describes our ethical approach and practice. We also follow guidance published by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, English Heritage, and the Advisory Panel on the Archaeology of Burials in England.

Every year, thousands of archaeological objects are discovered – many of these are by metal detector users, but also by people out walking, mudlarking, gardening or going about their daily work.

It’s advisable to record such finds with the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), a voluntary recording scheme for archaeological objects found by members of the public in England and Wales. London Museum has partnered with the PAS to document finds in the Greater London Area. The scheme primarily records objects that date from over 300 years, but we also record more recent objects of local or regional interest. All finds are recorded on to an online public database and are searchable by object type, time period and findspot location.

In accordance with the 1996 Treasure Act, all finds of potential treasure must be reported within 14 days. If you have an object you believe may constitute potential treasure, please send the following details by email, and await further instruction.

• Your full name and address
• The full name, postal address and e-mail address of the landowner and occupier (in cases of tenanted land)
• A minimum six-figure National Grid Reference (NGR) for where the find was made (Here is a simple guide to findspots)
• The depth at which the object was discovered
• The type of land on which it was found (ie, cultivated or pasture)
• Date of discovery
• Digital photographs (Here is a basic guide to finds photography)

Your email will satisfy the 14-day notification period required under the Treasure Act.

Thames Permits are issued by the Port of London Authority (PLA). The licence stipulates that you must report any and all objects you find which could be of archaeological interest to a PAS Finds Liaison Officer.

Would you like to report a find or treasure? Contact our local Finds Liaison Officer, who will also have more information on about the PAS or the Treasure Act: