Museum news

This article is from Current Archaeology issue 428

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HS2 fossils on display

A series of fossils discovered across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and West Northamptonshire during the HS2 rail project have gone on temporary display at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUMNH).

The finds include the partial remains of marine reptiles called ichthyosaurs, as well as their smaller prey, who lived in the warm seas that covered large parts of central England during the Jurassic Period, c.201 million-145 million years ago.

The specimens are on show alongside archive material from Professor John Phillips (1800-1874), the OUMNH’s first Keeper, who was a field geologist and palaeontologist, as well as an enthusiastic advocate of train travel, collecting fossils during the construction of the new railways between London and Oxford.

The display can be found in the OUMNH’s Main Court until 26 October 2025. Once it ends, one of the ichthyosaurs (found near Waddesdon in Buckinghamshire) will be donated to Discover Bucks in Aylesbury. See http://www.oumnh.ox.ac.uk/event/flying-steed for more details.

Yorkshire Museum launches Adopt an Object scheme

Early medieval enthusiasts can ‘adopt’ a Viking Age artefact for a year, in a new object-focused fundraising programme recently launched by the Yorkshire Museum, featuring 14 items currently displayed in their Viking North exhibition (see CA 426).

Famous finds like the Coppergate Helmet (pictured below) and the Vale of York Hoard, as well as new acquisitions like an intricately inlaid Thor’s hammer pendant, are available for sponsorship, and there is no limit on how many people can adopt a single object. Adopters will receive a personalised certificate, and all proceeds from the initiative will be reinvested directly into York Museum Trust collections, buildings, and gardens.

For more information, see http://www.yorkshiremuseum.org.uk/adopt-an-object.

David Bowie Centre opens in east London

A new, permanent home for David Bowie’s archive – made available to the public in its entirety for the first time – has opened at V&A East Storehouse in Stratford, London.

The David Bowie Centre, which opened in September, features a mix of permanent and rotating displays, including nine cabinets hosting around 200 highlights from the archive’s more-than 90,000-strong collections. Visitors can also request to see up to five items at a time from the wider archive, from costumes and musical instruments to props and scenery, in a one-on-one experience via the Order an Object service. Paper-based items including sketches, lyrics, press cuttings, and photographic prints can be viewed by scheduling an appointment with the Archives team. Both booking methods require at least two weeks’ notice.

Access to the David Bowie Centre is free but ticketed; new tickets are released every six weeks. See http://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/david-bowie centre for more details.

New exhibitions

Marie Antoinette Style
Until 22 March 2026
V&A South Kensington, London
http://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/marie-antoinette

At the Heart Of Drypool – One Year On
Until 9 November 2025
Streetlife Museum, Hull
http://www.hullmuseums.co.uk/museum-events/at-the-heart-of-drypool-one-year-on

Downland: art and the archaeological imagination in Wiltshire
Until 24 January 2026
Wiltshire Museum, Devizes
http://www.wiltshiremuseum.org.uk/exhibitions

The Norton Disney Dodecahedron
Until 18 January 2026
University of Nottingham Museum
http://www.lakesidearts.org.uk/exhibition/the-norton-disney-dodecahedron-exhibition

Gladiators of Britain
Until 25 January 2026
Grosvenor Museum, Chester
https://events.westcheshiremuseums.co.uk/event/gladiators-of-britain