Peterborough Museum’s pride as Must Farm exhibits go on display in major British Museum display

A number of items found at Must Farm in Whittlesey have been moved from the Peterborough Museum to The British Museum to be part of The World of Stonehenge exhibition at the world famous London attraction.

Must Farm was labelled as one of the most important Bronze Age discoveries made in the UK, with a number of amazing finds being recovered by archaeologists.

The items tell the story of what life was like for people living in Britain in the late Bronze Age (1,000-800 BC).

Sarah Wilson, heritage manager at Peterborough Museum said: “We have worked with The British Museum a number of times in recent years, with the Hoards exhibition and the Treasures exhibition, so we have a really nice relation with them - this has been 10 years in the making.

“We wanted to donate items, and it is wonderful for Peterborough to be involved in this exhibition.”

Sarah said that while many of the other items in the British Museum exhibition were spectacular in their own right, the Must Farm exhibits would allow visitors to see a different side of Bronze Age life.

She said; “We have sent a collection of lovely pots that were discovered, and a range of household items. That is what will capture people’s imaginations - things that everyone can relate to.

“There is nothing mysterious about them, but they will take people back in time.

“When you see some of the other items on display, there is nothing like the items from Must Farm. They are things you don’t normally see - they are very rare.”

The team at Peterborough museum worked closely with staff at The British Museum to ensure the items were transported safely to London ahead of the exhibition opening last month.

Sarah said: “Our collection manager went and travelled with the items in secure transport. and he saw the items being put into the display.

“There will be a condition check, and lightinga nd humidity will be key to ensure the displays stay in the best possible condition.

“The exhibition opened on February 17 and we are all planning to go and see it - it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see something like this exhibition.”

Sarah said that by having items included in the exhibition, it would help shine a light on the ‘remarkable’ history that Peterborough has on its doorstep.

She said “The wealth of heritage we have here is remarkable. We should be banging the drum about it. This is the place to come and will continue to be - we will find more incredible items here.”

The items will be returned to Peterborough Museum when the exhibition ends.

MORE: Dig ends as history-making Bronze Age finds revealed at Whittlesey’s Must Farm

The world of Stonehenge is the UK’s first ever major exhibition on the story of Stonehenge. Key loans include the Nebra Sky Disc, the world’s oldest map of the stars which is on loan to the UK for the very first time, and the astonishing wooden monument – dubbed Seahenge – that recently emerged after millennia from the sands of a Norfolk beach.

Stonehenge was built 4,500 years ago around the same time as the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. This landmark exhibition sets the great monument in the context of one of the most remarkable eras on the islands of Britain and Ireland, which saw huge social and technological revolutions, alongside fundamental changes in people’s relationships with the sky, the land and one another.

Dr Jennifer Wexler, project curator of The world of Stonehenge at the British Museum, said: “If Stonehenge is one of the world’s most remarkable surviving ancient stone circles, then Seahenge is the equivalent in timber. But as it was only rediscovered in 1998, it is still relatively unknown. We know about some aspects of the monument, including that it was constructed in the spring and summer of 2049 BC, from mighty oaks.

“But there’s much that still eludes us, including exactly what it was used for. Perhaps the central upturned trunk was used in funerary rituals to support a dead body. Perhaps entering the circular shrine brought worshippers closer

to the otherworld. By displaying Seahenge in this exhibition we hope to bring it to a wider audience, and it provides an unparalleled opportunity to time travel back to the moment when circles of stone and timber were at the heart of people’s beliefs.”

Nearly two-thirds of the objects on display in The world of Stonehenge are loans, with objects from 35 lenders across the UK, the Republic of Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland. Of these, the majority have never been seen in the UK before.

Hartwig Fischer, Director of the British Museum, said: “To understand the purpose of the great stone monument constructed on Salisbury Plain, it is essential to consider its contemporary world and the culture of its builders. We are delighted to be able to do this in this unprecedented exhibition. Over 430 exceptional objects are being brought together, objects which are the last and only testament of sophisticated and ingenious people, and we are grateful to all of the lenders who have made it possible.”

Neil Wilkin, curator of The world of Stonehenge at the British Museum, said: “The mystery of Stonehenge is a source of enduring fascination for every generation who visit or catch a glimpse of its distinctive silhouette. This landmark exhibition will begin to reveal its secrets by setting this great monument in the context of a period of radical change on these islands, and by bringing together exceptional objects that shed new light on its meaning and significance. It is an exhibition about the people who built and worshipped at the monument, but it is also a story that transcends the Salisbury Plain and even Britain and reaches far into continental Europe. Stonehenge’s eternal mystery and significance can only be fully understood by charting the surrounding world that made it possible.”

The exhibition runs until July 17. For ticket details, visit https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/world-stonehenge