The Collection

Browse images and information about the Museum and Archive collections here.

Detail of cartonnage mummy case

This section gives information about the Egyptology collections. Questions about how Bolton Museum and Archive Service came by its Egyptology collection, what it contains and other frequently asked questions are answered here.

Collection History

Detail of Annie Barlow pictured with Mahatma GhandiOne of the reasons that Bolton has such a diverse Egyptology collection is because of the historic links to Egypt through the cotton trade. Egyptologist Annie Barlow, the daughter of one of Bolton's most successful mill owners, donated her finds to the Chadwick Museum.

Coffins of Duaneteref

Duaneteref coffinOne of the Museum's sets of coffins belongs to a priest called Duaneteref, and consists of a wooden outer coffin and cartonnage mummy case. These have been specially conserved for a touring exhibition in the United States.

Ancient Textiles

Linen fragment detailBesides the general trade links to Egypt, local interest in the manufacturing of textiles meant that there has been a concentration on particular aspects of Egyptology. The result is that Bolton now holds one of the most important Egyptian textile collections in the world.

For Researchers

Granite column detailThis section provides detailed information about the provenanced sites from where the collection was sourced, its range of object types and the representative periods that these come from.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions iconAnswers to questions that are often asked regarding Bolton's Egyptology collection.