Did you know that the University of Amsterdam has many different heritage collections that are managed by the Allard Pierson? In addition to archaeological artefacts, the Allard Pierson houses one of the largest collections of historical maps in Europe, special medieval manuscripts, and much more. It is also the only place in the Netherlands that gathers theatre collections.

Rogier Kalkers (Head of provenance research at the Allard Pierson) takes you on a journey through the provenance research project into the archaeological collections that the Allard Pierson is conducting from 2023 to 2027. Over these four years, the provenance history of approximately 20,000 archaeological objects in the UvA’s collection will be investigated. Many of these artefacts have little or no provenance information: how do you deal with that?

Kalkers shows how the museum is attempting to fill in the gaps in our knowledge through archival research, material analysis and mapping networks of dealers and former owners. He also discusses recent restitution requests and the role of the Allard Pierson in the broader debate on heritage ownership and combatting the illicit trade in

Programme  

12:15-12:20 Walk in 
12:30-12:35 Programme’s opening by Imogen Mills
12:35-12:45 Mini lecture by Rogier Kalkers
12:45-13:00 Q&A with Rogier and Imogen and questions from the audience

The programme is free of charge, but we do ask you to sign up due to limited capacity and catering. The event is in English and takes 30 minutes.