One hundred objects from museums across the UK with resources, information and teaching ideas to inspire your students’ interest in history.
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Teaching History
with 100 Objects

One hundred objects from museums across the UK with resources, information and teaching ideas to inspire your students’ interest in history.
More about this project

Supported by

Photograph of Amy Barbour-James

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Britain
Themes: Trade and contact, Social and personal life

Suez Canal commemorative stamp

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Africa
Themes: Rule and rulers, Conflict, Empires

Anti-Apartheid badge

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Britain
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Social and personal life

Provisional IRA poster

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Conflict

The Atomic Apocalypse

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Americas
Themes: Rule and rulers, Conflict, Social and personal life

Charles Edward Stuart’s travelling canteen

Date: AD 1600 – 1800
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Conflict

A cannon from the Mary Rose

Date: AD 1000 – 1600
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Conflict

An Athenian family

Date: 500 BC – AD 500
Place: Europe
Theme: Social and personal life

A silver coin from Athens

Date: 500 BC – AD 500
Place: Europe
Themes: Trade and contact, Rule and rulers

Jesse Jackson campaign badge

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Americas
Themes: Rule and rulers, Beliefs and ideas, Social and personal life

Cloth celebrating Ghanaian independence

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Africa
Theme: Empires

Banner of the London Jewish Bakers’ Union

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Social and personal life

Clock damaged by a German shell

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Britain
Theme: Conflict

Force-feeding equipment

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Social and personal life

Portrait of Richard III

Date: AD 1000 – 1600
Place: Britain
Theme: Rule and rulers

Enigma cipher machine

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Britain
Themes: Conflict, Technology and arts

A Victorian disaster

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Britain
Theme: Social and personal life

The first passenger locomotive

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Britain
Themes: Social and personal life, Technology and arts

Eye of Horus amulet

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Africa
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Social and personal life

A Mughal painting

Date: AD 1600 – 1800
Place: Asia
Themes: Rule and rulers, Empires

Aircraft factory works pass

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Britain
Themes: Conflict, Social and personal life

Flour for Lancashire workers

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Britain
Themes: Trade and contact, Social and personal life

The Peterloo Handkerchief

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Social and personal life

Ivory salt cellar from Benin

Date: AD 1000 – 1600
Place: Africa
Theme: Trade and contact

Akan drum

Date: AD 1600 – 1800
Place: Africa
Themes: Trade and contact, Empires

A Greek goddess

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Europe
Theme: Beliefs and ideas

Commonplace Book of Erasmus Darwin

Date: AD 1600 – 1800
Place: Britain
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Technology and arts

Glorious Revolution playing cards

Date: AD 1600 – 1800
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Beliefs and ideas

The Martyrdom of St Thomas Becket

Date: AD 1000 – 1600
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Beliefs and ideas

Russian revolutionary plate

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Europe
Themes: Rule and rulers, Beliefs and ideas, Social and personal life

Thomas Clarkson’s campaign chest

Date: AD 1600 – 1800
Place: Britain
Themes: Trade and contact, Beliefs and ideas, Empires

Corporation mace of Stratford-upon-Avon

Date: AD 1000 – 1600
Place: Britain
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Social and personal life

Richard I and Saladin

Date: AD 1000 – 1600
Place: Britain
Themes: Trade and contact, Rule and rulers, Conflict

Tribute from Nubia

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Africa
Themes: Trade and contact, Rule and rulers, Empires

A Restoration fan

Date: AD 1600 – 1800
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Beliefs and ideas, Social and personal life

Memorial ring for Charles I

Date: AD 1600 – 1800
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Social and personal life

Medieval jug from France

Date: AD 1000 – 1600
Place: Britain
Theme: Trade and contact

A Qing dynasty altar set

Date: AD 1600 – 1800
Place: Asia
Theme: Empires

A gas mask for a horse

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Europe
Theme: Conflict

Two Māori hand clubs

Date: AD 1600 – 1800
Place: Oceania
Themes: Empires, Technology and arts

A jewel of Elizabeth I

Date: AD 1000 – 1600
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Beliefs and ideas

Seal-die of an English baron

Date: AD 1000 – 1600
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Social and personal life

Medieval game counter

Date: AD 1000 – 1600
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Social and personal life

A Greek theatre mask

Date: 500 BC – AD 500
Place: Europe
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Social and personal life, Technology and arts

Greek statue of a woman

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Europe
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Social and personal life, Technology and arts

An ancient Egyptian funeral procession

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Africa
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Social and personal life

Egyptian model of a house

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Africa
Theme: Social and personal life

Ancient Egyptian food production

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Africa
Themes: Social and personal life, Technology and arts

A Mesopotamian writing tablet

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Asia
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Social and personal life, Technology and arts

Anglo-Saxon stained glass

Date: AD 1000 – 1600
Place: Britain
Themes: Trade and contact, Beliefs and ideas, Technology and arts

An Anglo-Saxon woman’s key

Date: AD 500 – 1000
Place: Britain
Theme: Social and personal life

An Anglo-Saxon carved box

Date: AD 500 – 1000
Place: Britain
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Technology and arts

Carved stone ball from Skara Brae

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Britain
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Social and personal life

Britain’s Bayeux tapestry

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Conflict

Figure of an Anglo-Saxon man

Date: AD 500 – 1000
Place: Britain
Themes: Trade and contact, Beliefs and ideas, Social and personal life

Florence Nightingale’s writing case

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Europe
Themes: Social and personal life, Technology and arts

Medieval gold pendant

Date: AD 1000 – 1600
Place: Britain
Theme: Beliefs and ideas

Earliest handaxe in Britain

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Britain
Theme: Technology and arts

Roman gladiators vase

Date: 500 BC – AD 500
Place: Britain
Themes: Social and personal life, Empires

Viking scales and weights

Date: AD 500 – 1000
Place: Britain
Theme: Trade and contact

Greek jumping weights

Date: 500 BC – AD 500
Place: Europe
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Social and personal life

Ancient Egyptian writing equipment

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Africa
Themes: Social and personal life, Technology and arts

Colossal bust of Ramesses II

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Africa
Themes: Rule and rulers, Social and personal life

A feast in ancient Egypt

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Africa
Theme: Social and personal life

Early Chinese writing

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Asia
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Technology and arts

Page from a medical encyclopaedia in Arabic

Date: AD 1000 – 1600
Place: Asia
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Technology and arts

The mummy and coffins of an Egyptian woman

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Africa
Theme: Beliefs and ideas

Pictish wolf

Date: AD 500 – 1000
Place: Britain
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Social and personal life

Roman game board

Date: 500 BC – AD 500
Place: Britain
Theme: Social and personal life

Iron Age horse trappings

Date: 500 BC – AD 500
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Technology and arts

Queen Victoria’s Jubilee badge

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Empires

Wedgwood tea set

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Britain
Themes: Empires, Technology and arts

The State Entry into Delhi

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Asia
Themes: Rule and rulers, Empires

A Viking dragon plaque

Date: AD 500 – 1000
Place: Britain
Theme: Social and personal life

King Alfred’s jewel

Date: AD 500 – 1000
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Social and personal life, Technology and arts

Viking treasure

Date: AD 500 – 1000
Place: Britain
Theme: Trade and contact

A Roman mystery word square

Date: 500 BC – AD 500
Place: Britain
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Social and personal life, Empires

The Roman temple in Bath

Date: 500 BC – AD 500
Place: Britain
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Empires

Tombstone of a Roman cavalryman

Date: 500 BC – AD 500
Place: Britain
Themes: Conflict, Empires, Technology and arts

An early Iron Age boat

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Britain
Themes: Trade and contact, Technology and arts

The Oba of Benin

Date: AD 1000 – 1600
Place: Africa
Themes: Trade and contact, Rule and rulers

The Standard of Ur

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Asia
Themes: Rule and rulers, Social and personal life

Roman silver pepper pot

Date: 500 BC – AD 500
Place: Britain
Themes: Trade and contact, Empires

Head of the emperor Hadrian

Date: 500 BC – AD 500
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Empires

Tools for making clothes in Iron Age Britain

Date: 500 BC – AD 500
Place: Britain
Themes: Social and personal life, Technology and arts

Neolithic quern for making flour

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Britain
Themes: Social and personal life, Technology and arts

Fire bucket from the Great Fire of London

Date: AD 1600 – 1800
Place: Britain
Themes: Social and personal life, Technology and arts

The Maya maize god

Date: AD 500 – 1000
Place: Americas
Theme: Beliefs and ideas

Anglo-Saxon royal rings

Date: AD 500 – 1000
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Technology and arts

Bone engraved with a horse

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Britain
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Technology and arts

Guy Fawkes’ lantern

Date: AD 1600 – 1800
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Social and personal life

Palace doors from Nigeria

Date: AD 1800 – present
Place: Africa
Themes: Rule and rulers, Empires

Mesopotamian cylinder seal

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Asia
Theme: Beliefs and ideas

Lintel from a Maya building

Date: AD 500 – 1000
Place: Americas
Themes: Rule and rulers, Beliefs and ideas

Bronze vessel from Shang China

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Asia
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Social and personal life, Technology and arts

Seals from the Indus Valley

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Asia
Themes: Trade and contact, Technology and arts

A mace-head from near Stonehenge

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Britain
Themes: Rule and rulers, Social and personal life

Mesolithic headdress

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Britain
Themes: Beliefs and ideas, Social and personal life

Mesolithic woodworking tool

Date: Before 500 BC
Place: Britain
Theme: Technology and arts

The Sutton Hoo helmet

Date: AD 500 – 1000
Place: Britain
Themes: Trade and contact, Rule and rulers