Museum of Classical Archaeology
Museum | Cambridge | England | United Kingdom
The Museum of Classical Archaeology in Cambridge houses one of the largest collections of plaster casts of ancient Greek and Roman sculptures in the world. The collection includes several hundred casts, including some of the most famous sculptures of classical antiquity, such as the Laocoon Group, the Farnese Hercules, and the Barberini Faun. One outstanding exhibit is the Peplos Kore, a plaster cast of an ancient Greek statue of a young woman, originally erected around 530 BC on the Acropolis of Athens. In 1975, the museum attempted to recreate the original appearance of the sculpture by painting a cast of the figure. This cast is displayed alongside a second, untreated cast, challenging the misconception of ancient Greek sculpture as purely white marble works.
In addition to the plaster casts, the museum has an extensive collection of pottery shards and epigraphic imprints. It is one of the eight museums belonging to the University of Cambridge Museums consortium.
The museum is located on the first floor of the Faculty of Classics building on the Sidgwick Site of the University of Cambridge. It is open to the public and offers a variety of events, workshops, and exhibitions focusing on the history and significance of ancient sculptures and classical archaeology in general. These activities allow visitors to develop a deeper understanding of the art and culture of the ancient world.
