The RICHeS team is proud to highlight the extraordinary work underway at SHEFF BIOARCH. SHEFF BIOARCH is a collaborative project delivered in partnership with Historic England’s Fort Cumberland Laboratories and the University of Aberdeen’s Archaeology Department. Together, these institutions are creating a network of hubs, ensuring heritage science collections, equipment, expertise and resources are accessible throughout the UK.
At the heart of the University of Sheffield’s internationally renowned zooarchaeology programme lies a rich and growing zooarchaeology reference collection, now further enhanced through the RICHeS initiative.
A legacy of excellence
Sheffield has a long-standing reputation as a leader in zooarchaeological teaching and research. The foundation of this success is its extensive reference collection, housing over 2,000 skeletal specimens from mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Around 30% of these are sexed and aged, making the collection especially valuable for identifying archaeological remains with precision. Beyond individual specimens, the collection includes multiple examples per species, offering a unique opportunity to explore intraspecific variation and support studies in morphology and identification techniques.
Designed for access
What truly sets this collection apart is its innovative and user-friendly layout designed to democratise access and empower students, researchers and visiting users, regardless of experience level. At the core of this approach are index collections, carefully curated and logically organised sets of bones grouped by anatomical element. This allows users to easily compare different species side by side, supporting more efficient and accurate identification of fragmentary finds.
- Bird Index Collection: Organised into four size-based groups, each cabinet contains a single anatomical element (e.g., femurs, tibiotarsi) across various species. This structure enables quick visual comparisons and helps users understand shape and size differences across bird orders and families
- Mammal Index Collection: Mirroring the bird section, mammal drawers display one anatomical element at a time across domestic and wild species, from sheep and cattle to deer and canids
- Loose Teeth Collection: A favourite among students, this cabinet showcases both deciduous and permanent teeth. Multiple examples per tooth type highlight how wear impacts morphology, crucial for zooarchaeological interpretation
- Fish Collection: Featuring a clever colour-coding system to navigate complex taxonomies, the fish drawers organise skeletal elements by family rather than size, enhancing usability for researchers studying aquatic species.
Investing in the future
SHEFF BIOARCH’s collection is widely regarded as one of the best in the UK, but maintaining its quality and relevance requires continual investment and care. With support from RICHeS, the team at Sheffield is now able to carry out important upgrades, curation work and outreach, ensuring the collection remains a national asset for years to come.
The University of Sheffield’s Zooarchaeology Laboratory Reference Collection is available to be used for free for two days a month and for the rest of the time, bench fees will be applied to cover our maintenance costs.
Plan your visit
The SHEFF BIOARCH team welcome researchers, students and visitors interested in the university’s extensive zooarchaeology collection. Please contact zooarchlab@sheffield.ac.uk to arrange a visit.