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Rare medieval hair-styling tool acquired
A rare 13th-century hair-styling tool discovered at Eilean Donan Castle in the Highlands was recently acquired by National Museums Scotland.
Inspired by fashions in medieval France, the gravoir would have been used to create precise partings and elaborate hairstyles. It is one of only three known from the UK, and the first found in Scotland. While such items were generally made from ivory, this example was carved from the antler of a red deer, representing a European-style object created using local materials.
The gravoir was found during excavations by FAS Heritage, which uncovered diverse artefacts reflecting the castle’s 13th- to 15th-century peak as a centre of Gaelic lordship. Other finds included brooches and dress pins, crucibles containing traces of precious metals, gaming pieces, an iron jaw harp, and simple toys known as ‘buzz bones’. The entire assemblage, filling some 80 boxes at the National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh, has now been acquired and will be available to researchers for future study.
Highlighting Hawai‘ian history
A newly announced exhibition at the British Museum is set to explore the history and culture of Hawai‘i.
Running from 15 January to 25 May 2026, Hawai‘i: a kingdom crossing oceans will feature more than 150 objects and artworks tracing the archipelago’s history since its initial settlement by Polynesian seafarers c.AD 1000, as well as examining Hawai‘i’s complex relationship with the United Kingdom, from colonial contact to allyship.
Developed alongside Native Hawai‘ian knowledge-bearers, the displays will include feathered cloaks (including the pictured example; another in the exhibition was given by Kamehameha I, the first king of unified Hawai‘i, to George III in 1810); a 9ft-tall ki‘i (image) of Kū, the god of warfare and governance; and the Anglo-French proclamation of 1843 that formalised the UK and France’s recognition of Hawai‘i’s independence.
For more information, see http://www.britishmuseum.org/hawaii.
Immersive exhibition explores Pompeii
A new, immersive experience in London combines archaeological discoveries with cutting-edge technology to bring the streets of Pompeii to life once more.
Spanning ten different galleries and installations, The Last Days of Pompeii: the immersive exhibition examines everyday life before the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79, as well as recreating the tragic events that turned the thriving Roman settlement into an archaeological time-capsule.
Located at Immerse LDN on the Excel London Waterfront near Custom House station, the exhibition will run for 16 weeks from 14 November 2025. Its displays include a selection of artefacts and replicas reflecting finds from Italy and Britain, as well as some of Pompeii’s poignant plaster casts representing the human cost of the disaster. Virtual technology, meanwhile, will enable visitors to witness amphitheatre spectacles, the bustling streets of Pompeii, and the eruption of Vesuvius, as well as a free-roaming metaverse space offering the opportunity to walk through an interactive digital recreation of the ‘Villa of the Mysteries’. For more details, see http://www.pompeii-experience.com/london.
New exhibitions
Bound Together: leather from northern Nigeria
Until 8 February 2026
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/plan-your-visit/exhibitions/bound-together-leather-from-northern-nigeria
Ancient Sudan: enduring heritage
Until 22 February 2026
Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum
http://www.britishmuseum.org/ancientsudan
Expecting: birth, belief and protection
Until 19 April 2026
Wellcome Collection, London
https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions
Object Journeys
Until 21 February 2026
York Army Museum
https://yorkarmymuseum.co.uk/exhibitions-events
What Remains? Canterbury’s ancestors: ethics, history and science
Until 29 March 2026
The Beaney, Canterbury
https://canterburymuseums.co.uk/events/what-remains-canterburys-ancestors-ethics-history-science
Last chance to see
A History of Ancient House in 100 Objects
Until 29 November 2025
Ancient House Museum of Thetford Life
http://www.ancienthouse.norfolk.gov.uk/article/65444/A-History-of-Ancient-House-in-100-Objects
