Museum of Cultural History
The Museum of Cultural History conducts research at a high international level and is Norway's leading research museum in the field of cultural history.
News
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Sensational discovery: First in Norway since 1924 Oct. 9, 2026 7:00 AM
A very rare coin has been found in the Mørstad Hoard, the largest Viking Age coin hoard ever discovered in Norway. The coin was minted during the reign of Olaf Haraldsson—better known as Saint Olaf.
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The first load has arrived at the Museum of the Viking Age Sep. 30, 2026 8:02 PM
More than 5,000 artefacts are to be moved from the museum’s storage facilities to the new museum. The first shipment has now arrived at Bygdøy.
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Year of the arrows – Now the Stone Age is melting out Sep. 23, 2026 1:09 PM
We have recently discovered and recovered 48 prehistoric arrows in Jotunheimen, Norway. The trend is clear: Now the oldest ice is melting. Increasingly, the finds emerging from the ice belong to our earliest prehistory – finds from the Stone Age and Bronze Age. The ancient ice that has safely preserved unique objects for thousands of years is now giving up. We have been at the edge of the ice. It is happening now. We are witnesses to our time.
Events
In 1961, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark began a historic, joint archaeological project in Lower Nubia just south of the Sudanese-Egyptian border. The Scandinavian Joint Expedition to Sudanese Nubia (SJE) conducted well-documented excavation and survey work in their concession area until 1964 as part of UNESCO’s rescue mission before the completion of the Aswan High Dam.
We are pleased to announce Emeritus Professor Richard Bradley, Reading University and Honorary Research Associate in the School of Archaeology at Oxford University, as the speaker for 2026 Gutorm Gjessing Lecture Series with the lecture 'Archaeologies of an enchanted landscape: places becoming monuments in the prehistory of Northern Britain'.
Collections
The Museum of Cultural History has over three million objects in its collections. We have archeological objects from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages. The collections of coins and ethnographic objects show the world's cultural diversity.
Research
The Museum of Cultural History conducts research at a high international level. Interdisciplinary research groups work with topics within the museum's focus areas, and are part of international networks.
Archaeological excavations
The Museum of Cultural History conducts archaeological excavations in the south and east of Norway. The museum is a professional advisor for the National Heritage Board, county municipalities and other bodies within cultural heritage protection.
Our museums
At the Historical Museum, you can see selected objects from Norway's largest cultural history collections and learn more about Norway's history and the world's cultural diversity.
The museum has the best preserved Viking ships in the world. Here you can learn more about the Vikings and how made their mark on the world. The new world-leading Museum of the Viking Age opens in 2027.
The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest university and has played a pivotal historical role. The Museum of University History reflects the historical diversity and connects it to our present and future.
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Our research
Subunits
The Historical Museum, the Museum of the Viking Age and the Museum of University and Science History are organized under the Museum of Cultural History.