New gallery traces Milton Keynes’ history from prehistoric fossils through Roman times, featuring 180-million-year-old Ichthyosaur remains and local archaeological finds.
A new gallery charting Milton Keynes’ ancient history is set to open to visitors this week.
Tomorrow, January 23 will see Milton Keynes Museum open the doors of its new Ancient Gallery, concluding an eight year project.
The gallery will open on the same day as the new city celebrates its 58th birthday.
Among objects on display will be the fossilized remains of an Ichthyosaur. Discovered during the excavations at nearby Caldecotte Lake, the sea creature, now affectionately called Iggy, is 180 million years old.
The upcoming gallery also houses remnants of woolly mammoths and woolly rhinos, palaeolithic and mesolithic life, and the legacy of the Roman era in the city.
“At a time when Museums are struggling with drops in revenue and hindered further by significant running costs, we really hope this gallery invigorates and entertains all who come to see it,” said Museum Director Bill Griffiths.
The Ancient Gallery has been funded by capital from Milton Keynes City Council, alongside support from the Headley Trust, the Hobson Foundation and a bequest from local resident Robert Excell.
“This gallery is all about a shared identity and knowing that we have all come from somewhere else to build our lives here,” Bill added, “To know your roots and your heritage is important”
The museum has now moved focus to its next opening, the New Gallery, which is set to be revealed later this year, and will focus on the city’s modern history.