Australian National University Classics Museum, Classical antiquities museum at Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
The Australian National University Classics Museum is an archaeological museum on the campus of the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia, displaying objects from ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern civilizations. The collection covers pottery, coins, and sculptures from Greece, Rome, Egypt, and the Near East, all housed in the AD Hope building.
The museum was founded in 1962 by Professor Dick Johnson as a teaching collection for students of ancient history and classics. It grew steadily through acquisitions and donations, gradually becoming a research resource beyond its original educational purpose.
The collection shows everyday objects like household vessels, tools, and ornaments from the ancient Mediterranean world, giving visitors a concrete sense of how ordinary people lived. Looking closely at the craftsmanship, you can notice differences in style and technique across regions like Greece, Egypt, and the Near East.
The museum is inside the AD Hope building on the ANU campus, which is easy to reach on foot from the central areas of the university. Curator-led tours are available during the week, and schools or groups can arrange a dedicated visit by booking in advance.
From 2023, the museum began returning objects to Italy after finding that some had come from illegal excavations carried out in the 20th century. This made it one of the few Australian institutions to actively send objects back to their country of origin.
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