Two Fascinating Historical Museums in Cambridge

Cambridge is a small city, but when we visited it, I had the opportunity to discover two museums there that were very interesting. The first one is famous for visitors: the Fitzwilliam Museum, the second one is the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Regarding the Fitzwilliam Museum, I, unfortunately, had time to cover only the ground floor deeply enough to write about it in this post (I just quickly went through the upper level).

The Museum of Cambridge

Many rooms are composing this place. Each one of them corresponds to a different period and geographical area. The first room dedicates its space to the weaponry of the new era mainly in Europe. The next room is about objects that were a source of trade between Europe and, Iran and Iraq. The third room is like the second one, but it is turned towards Asia; some pieces of modern arts are also present. The two final rooms are about ancient Greece and Egypt.

First room 17th century

The first room focuses on the arsenal in Europe during the New Era. Many armours of different kinds are present. A wide range is displayed; from full ones used for ceremonial purposes, to “Half Armours” usually used for the battle-field. This new habit of using lighter armours is due to the increasing power of gunpowder weapons. Armours were not protective enough against these weapons. A light armour allowing a faster and easier move was more useful.

Gunpowder weapons from different European countries are present, like the German Wheelock rifle and pistol or the French Harquebus. There are even some hybrid pistol weapons, like the axe Wheelock and an Italian Flintlock dagger. Some more Middle age weapons are displayed, like the pikes or crossbows. In the same time, the bow has completely disappeared from the military arsenal. There is finally a small part dedicated to the use of cavalry. However, Cavaliers tend also to disappear from the battlefield, as they get too easily slaughtered by the powerful rifles and pistols.

Second room 10th 13th century

The next room is entirely different from the first one as it is about the trade instead of warfare. Many objects in this room were a source of trade between the different Europeans Kingdoms and the Muslim Empire. Many decorative objects are exposed, such as jars or plates from Iran and countries around. The preservation of these objects is excellent and gives a clear idea of how they looked like when they were perfectly intact. The primary interest in this room remains decorative arts, but we can also find some jewels and old coins.

Third room 14th 15th century

The third room displays another part of European trade, but this time with Asia. These objects are similar to the ones traded with the Muslim Empire, but there is one crucial difference. This time, clay is not the component of the plates, jars and statues. The Asian used a much more precious material: porcelain. The objects present here are in much better condition than the ones in the previous room. It may be because porcelain has a better resistance towards the damage of time than clay. However, the objects from China are much more decorative than the rest of the display. There are sculptures like bird cages, vases or even representations of Chinese buildings or delicately sculpted daily objects such as water-tanks.

Fifth Room Ancient Greece and Rome

The next room contains artifacts from a much older era: Ancient Greece. This room is much smaller than the previous one; only a few objects are present including statues of Greek heroes and gods. There is also a display of some jewels including rings and necklaces.

Sixth Room Ancient Egypt

The last room focuses on an even older civilization: Ancient Egypt. This room is a little bit more complete than the Greek room. It displays statues of gods, and treasures are present there. Also, some objects are coming from the peasants’ daily life; for example, there are wicker baskets and fishing boats. However, the most beautiful object of the room is a full set of Sarcophagi with its ornaments. Precious stones such as Dark marble compose some of the Sarcophagi, because Pharaoh, ruler of ancient Egypt, was buried with them.

Conclusion on the Museum

I enjoyed this museum as it has a small but complete approach of European and Asian crafts and trade. You will cover an extensive knowledge of the craft arts of the ancient eras. I highly recommend this museum as it is covering different ages and different civilizations. The upper floor is as exciting as the ground floor; the whole museum would need, in my opinion, two hours to visit and enjoy it thoroughly.

Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology of Cambridge

This museum is less famous than the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, but from my point of view, I found it was likewise impressive. This museum is much smaller but still displays a wide range of objects from different ethnics.

First Floor

The first floor focuses on the Antic European civilization. The Romans are sharing the space with the Francs and the Celtics. There are many decorative objects and jewels, but there is also a wide range of Celtic weapons and a tomb with a human skeleton! Don’t bring your dog there! Finally, in the back of the room, we can see some parts of a Catholic church.

Second Floor

The second floor of the museum is far more complicated than the first one. It reunites objects that use to belong to primitive tribes like fishing and farming tools, weapons or even musical instruments. These tribes were living in various places around the world. There are objects from the Polynesians to the Inuit, going through the Australians and Japanese from the times of the Samurais. The presentation of the different exhibits is stunning and complete, despite the lack the katana on the Samurai armour!

Third Floor

The Third floor is much smaller than the previous ones; it is mostly displaying various stones from the Stone Age and artifacts from the Mayas and the Egyptians.

About this museum

This Museum may be tiny, but it’s still worth the visit for anyone who has an interest in Archaeology and ancient civilizations. I enjoyed the full range of the objects displayed. It gives a good idea of ancient cultures uses.

History in Cambridge

Cambridge is famous for its Universities, so it’s an excellent place to pay a visit to the local museums. They are quite small compared to the urban museums, but the city of Cambridge manages to bring to its students a wide range of real knowledge within its walls.

 

If you like this post, read about some more museums I visited:

The Vancouver Maritime Museum

Museums in Oslo and its Surroundings

The Resistance Museum in Amsterdam

Vikings, history of the Northman

Or discover some post from my other categories:

Time to visit a smaller place: Restormel Castle

The Past of the Wendats Indian Tribes In Canada

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