Fashion of Archaeology at Sutton Hoo

Join us for a brand-new exhibition exploring the Fashion of Archaeology- where archaeology and costume history combine. Archaeology is a very broad subject with a wide range of disciplines and we have reached out to the archaeological community pulling together a fascinating range of clothing and images depicting a very wide variety of archaeological attire.

Visiting information for this winter
In England and Northern Ireland, our gardens, parks and countryside remain open for local people to exercise. Shops, houses and other indoor areas are closed, and cafés are takeaway only. The safety of our staff, volunteers and visitors from the nearby community remains our priority and we urge you to book your visits in advance and stay local. All places in Wales are currently closed. Please check the property webpage before you travel.
Please be aware that this exhibition has now closed following our response to the coronavirus pandemic. We will be bringing you images from the exhibition on our social media channels.
Top hat or topless?
Whether practical, corporate or personal, each item of clothing has a story to tell. Whilst the topic of archaeology has always been about discovering the past, the discipline itself has a very long history stretching back hundreds of years. Naturally the attire adopted by archaeologists has changed over time and as archaeology has expanded into so many different forms- excavation, landscape, research and surveying to name but a few- the archaeologist’s wardrobe has expanded somewhat.
Textile history has long since been an important aspect of archaeology, indeed our understanding of Anglo-Saxon fashion and clothes production is known mainly through textile fragments found during archaeological excavations including the Sutton Hoo Great Ship Burial, but we are now turning the spotlight onto the clothing of the archaeologists themselves.
Our exhibition charts archaeological fashion from the early 1900s through to the present day with images from across the world reflecting the varied nature of archaeology. From DNA labs to excavation and rock band t-shirts to hazmat suits, it’s surprising just how many forms archaeologists and their outfits come in. See below for a short fashion parade to give you a flavour of what to expect.
The Fashion of Archaeology will be open from Saturday 11 January to Sunday 19 April.
