Research
Colchester + Ipswich Museums support research because it helps us to understand and use our collections better. Further information about how we work with researchers can be found in our Research Policy.
Here, staff and visitors reveal what they’ve been getting up to…
Latest Articles

Animal diversity of the Ice Age
Ipswich Museum’s new published type and figured catalogue By Dr. Simon Jackson, Collections and Learning Curator, Ipswich Museums This February we have published online most of our collection of type and figured fossil specimens, which are amongst our most important....

Ice Age Fossils
Ancient Weather "Forecasters" of the Past By Dr. Simon Jackson, Collections and Learning Curator, Ipswich Museums New research is investigating and reconstructing the unknown climates and environments of the past. Today, we feature University of Helsinki mammal...

Unlocking Hidden Secrets of Fossil Teeth
21st Century Investigation Meets “Ice Age” Fossils By Dr. Simon Jackson, Collections and Learning Curator, Ipswich Museums Modern scientific techniques are helping us to unlock the secrets of fossil teeth, and to provide new insights into these creatures’ lost worlds....

Landscape Research Group
By Emma Roodhouse, Collections and Learning Curator What do maps, well-being and the climate crisis have to do with landscape art? These are just the sorts of questions that the Landscape Research Group seeks to explore. This research group is dedicated to British...

Documenting at a Distance
By Karen Banton, Assistant Collections and Learning Curator One of the challenges of lockdowns and restricted access to the museum has been continuing the documentation work of our John Ellerman Foundation projects. But it hasn’t stopped us being able to get more of...

Roman Magic
The Camulodunum Case Study by Adam Parker, PhD student at the Open University * Click on the photos below to visit our Collections Online database and discover more about that object. * The ancient world was a dangerous place where misfortune and bad luck were...

Liking Lichens
By Karen Banton, Assistant Collections and Learning Curator * Click on the photos below to visit our Collections Online database and discover more about that object. * During lockdown, one of the things I’ve had the chance to do, thanks to our John Ellerman...

Stories In Stone
By Glynn Davis, Senior Collections and Learning Curator * Click on the photos below to visit our Collections Online database and discover more about that object. * Colchester Museums care for a fascinating collection of Roman intaglios. These small gems are carved...

Creating Constable
John Constable (1776-1837) - Willy Lott’s House, Flatford, 1816, oil on canvas Family, Friends and Artists in East AngliaEmma Roodhouse, Collections and Learning Curator 2021 is a significant year for the artist, John Constable 1776-1837, being the 200th anniversary...

Takeaways from China
The following is taken from an ICON article written by Conservator, Robert Entwistle Over the past 4 years Colchester + Ipswich Museums have had partnerships with 2 Chinese Museums, Xuzhou and Nanjing to put on exhibitions in Colchester Castle. I was lucky enough to...