U of A Museum Now Showcases Roman Collection On Virtual, Interactive Timeline

A 5th Century BCE belt buckle

Anyone can now explore a selection of Roman cultural materials housed at the University of Arkansas Museum though a new interactive timeline on the Museum’s public database. Spanning from the inception of Classical Rome to the age of Justinian, the timeline brings the museum’s Roman collection to life. 

Garrett Sherman, a current U of A student of history and soon-to-be-graduate, created this project. He has a deep passion and curiosity for Roman history and has volunteered at the museum since last summer.  

“I have really enjoyed working on the timeline project and I’m excited for the opportunities that it may afford me,” Sherman said.

The broader historical context associated with the objects is also explored through images and researched content. Featured objects span 1,000 years of time and vary in content from belt buckles to coins. 

The earliest object featured is an Etruscan bucchero cup dating to the 6th century BCE. The well-known ware is recognized for its black color and polished surface. A pilgrim flask, a souvenir used to carry holy water from shrines across Europe, is the latest object, dating to the 6th century CE.

The timeline also links back to individual object records on the museum’s public database. 

“We established the database last May with the goal of expanding public access and transparency to the museum’s collections,” said Laurel Lamb, curator of education and engagement. “We hope to see more projects like Garrett’s added over time that provide deeper, richer context to the collections and foster research opportunities for our community.”

About the University of Arkansas Museum: The University of Arkansas Museum traces its beginnings to the 1870s as a geology teaching collection. From a modest beginning, the collections grew to 7.5 million objects encapsulating the fields of archeology, ethnology, history, geology, and zoology. Today, the museum is an administrative unit of Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. Educators may request loans of collection materials for their classes or arrange to bring their classes to the University Collections Facility at 2475 N. Hatch Ave. for a visit. Objects and their associated documentation are available for comparative and research purposes by faculty, students, and visiting scholars. The museum also fulfills its public service and outreach mission through programming and collection loans to regional community spaces.