Skip Navigation or Skip to Content
Search
You searched for… 39 results found
Romans in Scotland: the Roman army

The Roman army was drawn from many corners of the vast Roman Empire

View
An Egyptian Luxury in Roman Scotland

Discover how research and collecting at National Museums Scotland is reshaping understandings of Scotland in the past as we take a closer look at a very special Roman object with surprising Egyptian origins.

View
Romans in Scotland: major archaeological sites

Archaeological finds from Rome's invasions of Scotland can be found throughout the country, from the Solway Firth to Moray. Three of the most prominent sites are Trimontium, Traprain Law, and the Antonine Wall.

View
Traprain Law treasure

Buried around the middle of the 5th century AD, this hoard of Roman silver from Traprain Law in East Lothian is the largest known from outside the Roman Empire.

View
Romans in Scotland: highlight objects

See five highlight objects that summarise the legacy of Rome's invasions of Scotland

View
Grammar of Ornament

Grammar of Ornament was Owen Jones’ design masterpiece. First published in 1856, the lavish folio highlighted stunning patterns, motifs and ornaments in 112 illustrated plates.

View
Romans in Scotland: Trimontium Museum loan

Discover objects on loan to the new Trimontium Museum in the Scottish Borders

View
The Rhind Tomb: Ancient Egyptian Burial

Discover the story and view the beautiful objects of an extraordinary ancient Egyptian tomb.

View
Romans in Scotland: life on the frontier

Forts were not just military bases, they became the heart of communities

View
Romans in Scotland: learning resources

Tools to help aid teaching and learning about the Romans in Scotland

View
Cramond lioness

In 1997, ferryman Robert Graham unearthed a sandstone sculpture from the mud of the River Almond, Cramond, Edinburgh. It turned out to be one of the most important Roman finds in decades.

View
Personalised Funerary Papyri

Two detailed funerary papyri tell the stories of the high official Montsuef and his wife Tanuat, whose intact Roman-era family burial was excavated by Alexander Henry Rhind.

View
Mummy Shroud

A unique, full-length mummy shroud, which is over 2,000 years old yet is still in remarkable condition, has been discovered in National Museums Scotland’s collections.

View
The Galloway Hoard rock crystal jar

A unique jar of rock crystal and gold from the Galloway Hoard with a fascinating history – and an intriguing name on it.

View
Scotland's Early Silver on film

Discover the story of Scotland’s early silver and how this precious metal helped to shape the first kingdoms of Scotland.

View
Ancient Southern European collections

Our ancient Southern European collections offer a window onto the diverse cultures that flourished along the Mediterranean coast in antiquity.

View
The Romans

An exploration of ancient Rome through modern objects and their Roman equivalents. Our accompanying resources will also allow you to further explore the topic in class.

View
New thinking, new collecting

This display highlights a small selection from our Scottish History & Archaeology collections, showing how research and collecting at National Museums Scotland is reshaping understandings of Scotland in the past, and reflecting the Scotland of today for future generations of museum visitors.

View
Tour of the Ancient Egyptian Gallery

Join curator Margaret Maitland for a guided virtual tour of our Ancient Egypt Rediscovered gallery.

View
Top 10 things to see and do

Your journey of discovery starts here...

View
Collections

Our collections represent Scottish material culture from the earliest times to the present day.

View
Spencer House sofa

This sofa once graced one of London’s most splendid mansions, part of an opulent 18th-century interior scheme which was the height of Georgian fashion.

View
Alexander Henry Rhind

Alexander Henry Rhind (1833–1863) was the first archaeologist to conduct systematic excavations in Egypt in the 1850s.

View
Deskford carnyx

Uncover the history of this iconic Celtic trumpet, and find out how it has been reconstructed to bring the music of the past to life.

View
Tamworth pig

Tamworth pigs are well suited to the Scottish climate and are one of the oldest surviving pig breeds.

View
Hamilton-Rothschild tazza

This Byzantine sardonyx bowl mounted on a 16th-century gold stand is truly a magnificent object.

View
360 ° Highlights from The Tomb

Our stunning ancient Egypt exhibition The Tomb presented the story of one extraordinary tomb, built around 1290BC and reused for over 1000 years.

View
Scottish History and Archaeology galleries

Our Scotland galleries guide you from the Palaeolithic era to the present day, from the earliest cultures to space age science, prehistory to pop culture.

View
Pocket watch from the shipwreck of the Swan

Salvaged from a shipwreck, this pocket watch has lain under water for over 300 years. But now a high-tech process has uncovered the hidden secrets of this rusty artefact.

View
The Rise and Fall of Hamilton Palace

The destruction of Hamilton Palace, the grandest stately home in Britain, was one of the greatest losses to national heritage ever to happen in this country. This is the story of how Scotland’s biggest treasure trove was won and lost.

View
Coffins and mummy masks

National Museums Scotland’s ancient Egyptian coffin collection remains largely unknown and has many exceptional items.

View
Witch's iron collar

This witch's iron collar (or jougs) was owned by the parish of Ladybank in Fife in the 17th century.

View
Silver dirhams from the Storr Rock Viking Hoard

A 10th-century hoard found on the Isle of Skye contained 19 dirhams, silver coins from the Islamic emirates of central Asia. These were not exotic curiosities collected by a Viking traveller, but evidence of trade routes connecting Scotland across vast distances at the turn of the first millennium.

View
The Galloway Hoard vessel

The lidded vessel which contained the Galloway Hoard's most precious treasures is itself a revelation.

View
Box of Amenhotep II

This box inscribed with the name of Pharaoh Amenhotep II is one of the finest examples of decorative woodwork to survive from ancient Egypt.

View
Ornate silver club belonging to Kunwar Singh, taken by General Godfrey Pearse during the Indian Uprising, 1857-58
Legacies of Empire

Legacies of Empire examines the histories connected to objects brought back from colonial conflict by the military forces of the British Empire.

View
Back to top