Themed Loan Boxes
Our Themed Loan Boxes bring history straight into your classroom. Each box is packed with real and replica artefacts and comes with teachers’ notes, giving you all the resources you need to help students explore the past.
Use them to learn about Viking life, Roman times, Tudor households, prehistoric periods, or how archaeologists work.
From food, clothing, and personal items to hobbies and pastimes, these boxes let students handle artefacts and discover what life was like in the past. The teachers’ notes provide background information, lesson ideas, and suggestions for activities.
Our Themed Loan Boxes are designed for Key Stage 2 learners but can be adapted for other age groups, SEND learners, or home education families.
All images are for illustration only. Actual box contents may vary.
Available Boxes
Viking
Explore Viking life in the classroom with real and replica artefacts. Students can see how people lived, traded, and worked in the 10th-century city of Jorvik.
Roman
Learn about everyday life, religion, and personal appearance in Roman Britain. This box includes replicas and artefacts to support classroom learning and can complement a visit to DIG.
Tudor
Step into 16th-century England with this box covering education, pastimes, and home life. The box works well with a visit to Barley Hall, where many of the objects would have been in use.
Prehistory
Discover life from the Stone Age to the Iron Age through barrow burials. Replica tools, materials, and personal items help students understand prehistoric life.
Learn more about our DIG! Digital Prehistory virtual outreach session.
Star Carr
Created with archaeologists from the Star Carr Project, this box contains replica artefacts, including an antler headdress, to bring the Mesolithic period to life.
Archaeology
Investigate real materials excavated by York Archaeology, including pottery, building materials, animal bones, teeth, and shells. This box encourages hands-on learning about archaeology, chronology, and STEM skills.
Booking and Costs
Each box costs £24 for the first week and £6 per extra week, up to a maximum of four weeks. Boxes must be collected and returned to our DIG attraction on St. Saviourgate, York, as we cannot post them.
You can download the Loan Box Teachers’ Guide (PDF, 8 MB) for full booking details.
To book a loan box, please fill in our enquiry form or contact our Reservations Team at [email protected] or 01904 615505.