Our osteological collections preserve bone material from archaeological and geological excavations across Norway, ranging in age from the Late Pleistocene to recent times. With material from ca 1700 localities, it is the largest archaeological bone collection in Norway, and one of the largest in Europe. The collections form the basis for our research on Northern European faunal history, paleozoology, paleobotany, archaeology and Quaternary geology. You can search the archaeological database here.
In addition, our collection of modern skeletal material contains over 15.000 specimens of mostly fish, birds and mammals, and is one of the largest in Scandinavia. With a focus on Northern European taxa, our collections are particularly strong in marine mammals, reindeer, horses and deep-sea fishes. You can search the modern database here.
Our collection of human milk teeth was donated to the museum by professor in odontology Gisle Fosse. He started collecting human milk teeth from in total 13 countries in the middle of the 1970’s. This collection is only open upon request and in agreement with Professor Fosse.