Once the British parliament was able to buy Sir Hans Sloane’s, Cabinet of Curiosities along with Sir Robert Cotton’s collections and the library of Sir Robert Harley, the British museum was started. Its first location was the Montague House in 1759. It was then shifted to the Bloomsbury area in 1823. At the present it is located on the Great Russell Street in London. The museum has excellent collections of cultures from around the world. Most of these collections come from ancient civilizations and help to highlight the history and what man was back then. Apart from the foreign collections, there is a section dedicated to the British history which managed to throw light on the way Britain evolved over the centuries and all its phases of transition.
There is the famous exhibit of the Saxon ship along with European art and archeological findings from the Anglo-Saxon and medieval period. There can be many interesting artifacts to be found in the museum including scientific instruments, coins and paintings. Gold jewelry from the past to porcelain items can be viewed in the museum. Collections that range from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age through the Early Celtic ages have been represented. The famous Elgin sculptures can also be found in the famous museum. Famous Egyptian pieces from the pre dynastic period are exhibited, where the famous Rosette Stone can be viewed.
The museum boasts of a highly comprehensive holding of African, Mesopotamian, Arabian and Asian art forms. The famous weapons from the aboriginal region are included in the collections along with the Japanese armors and Vietnamese ceramics.