Excursions to the Museum

The ANU Classics Museum contains over 600 objects from the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Students gain a taste of everyday life in the ancient world through some of its fascinating objects and their stories, from surgical instruments and baby feeders to coins of Cleopatra and Nero. The museum features examples of ancient material culture spanning over 5000 years of history from Roman Britain, the Near- and Mid-East, Northern Africa, and Europe. The museum is central to the student learning experience in Classical Studies at ANU, but also provides primary and secondary students with an engaging, hands-on opportunity to explore ancient Mediterranean cultures.

The Classics Museum’s collection is relevant to a wide range of disciplinary areas, including: Ancient History, Art History, Archaeology, Languages (Ancient and Modern), Gender Studies, Society, Politics, Drama, Food and Leisure, and more.

For primary and early high school students, the museum provides a fun-filled introduction to the ancient world, and the use of material culture as historical evidence. 

For upper secondary students, the collection provides opportunities for in-depth exploration of specific subject areas. Bespoke tours or short talks for Year 11 and 12 students on specialist subjects by academic staff are also available upon request and subject to availability. Sample topics include: Ancient Greek Theatre; Greek Technology; the Legacy of Greece; Alexander the Great; Cleopatra; Agrippina the Younger; Pompeii; the Fall of Rome; An Introduction to Latin; Museum ethics and Repatriation.

Incursions to Your School

A museum staff member can visit your school to provide a presentation and hands-on experience. This is a good option for schools with too many students to bring to the museum (such as large year 7 cohorts). Example workshops might include:

• An introduction to Greek mythology, accompanied by a hands-on experience with ancient Greek coins depicting gods, goddesses and mythological scenes.
• An introduction to everyday life in ancient Greece and Rome, accompanied by a hands-on experience with simple everyday objects such as playing dice, cosmetic implements, loom weights, and simple pottery.

Contact classics.museum@anu.edu.au to discuss your group’s requirements.

Object-Based Learning

The ANU Classics Museum also boasts a brand new Object-Based Learning Room (adjacent to the museum), housing the Professor Graeme Clarke Teaching Collection. The hands-on collection stems from archaeological excavations undertaken at the Hellenistic site of Jebel Khalid in Syria. Workshops provide students with the opportunity to handle ancient objects including ceramics, glass, metals and sculptural fragments representing the everyday domestic and cultural life of the residents of an ancient town on the banks of the Euphrates. Handling ancient objects allows students of all ages, skill levels and abilities to connect with history in a tangible and joyful way. In this way, teachers and students gain first-hand knowledge of object-based learning, with skills that can be transferred to other areas of the curriculum.

Tour Fees and Minimum Charges

All prices listed below are inclusive of GST. All proceeds from tours, workshops and incursions go directly to supporting the Classics Museum.

A minimum charge of $300 applies to school bookings. This ensures the museum is covering its costs and raising small amounts that are put towards the ongoing management of the museum and its collection. NB:the minimum charge can be waived in special circumstances, such as small groups of students visiting from public schools in remote or regional Australia. Contact classics.museum@anu.edu.au if you would like to discuss waiving the minimum charge.

Museum Capacity

The museum is small and can only accept groups of approximately 20 students at a time at a time. Larger groups can be split between activities (e.g. one group on a tour, the other in a hands-on workshop). Contact classics.museum@anu.edu.au to discuss your group’s requirements.

How to book

All tours can be booked by contacting: classics.museum@anu.edu.au
If you have any questions, please be in touch.