The Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas, British Museum

Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas 

Contact details

Department of Africa , Oceania and Americas

Email: aoa@britishmuseum.org
Phone: +44 (0)20 7323 8041

Department of Africa, Oceania and Americas
The British Museum
Great Russell Street
London
WC1B 3DG

Anthropology Library and Research Centre

Email: anthropologylibrary@britishmuseum.org
Phone: +44 (0)20 7323 8031

The collection of the Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas holds about 350,000 objects.

They represent the cultures of the indigenous peoples of four continents. The scope of the collection is contemporary, archaeological and historical, and includes a large pictorial collection. It spans most of Africa (outside ancient Egypt, Sudan and the Mediterranean), the Pacific and Australia, as well as North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Most of the collections were acquired during the 19th and 20th centuries, though research and collecting continues today.

Accessing the collection

Object identification

Staff

  • Julie Adams – Curator: Oceania
  • Helen Anderson – Curator: Africa
  • Awet Araya – Project Curator: Africa
  • Ceri Ashley – Head: Endangered Material Knowledge Programme
  • Lissant Bolton – Keeper of Africa Oceania and the Americas
  • Ben Burt – Curator: Oceania
  • Zoe Cormack – Project Curator: Africa
  • Julie Hudson – Curator: Africa
  • James Hamill – Curator: Africa
  • Sam Nixon – Head: Africa Section
  • Gaye Sculthorpe – Head: Oceania Section
  • Rose Taylor – Curator: Americas
  • Danny Zborover – Head: Americas Section

The work of the department is supported by a team of Collections Managers and administrative staff.

Research

The Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas is actively involved in various research projects. See below for some of the projects undertaken by staff in the Department.

Research projects