The Society's famous archaeological collections are housed in the Great North Museum: Hancock, along with those of the Natural History Society of Northumberland and the Shefton Museum.

Our collections range from the Palaeolithic period through to the Tudors and Stuarts with world famous artefacts such as the Tribley Shield (one of the first objects to be donated to the Society in 1813), the Milecastle 38 inscription (which proved that Hadrian was responsible for building Hadrian's Wall), the Aemilia finger-ring (possibly the earliest Christian artefact from Roman Britain), the Rothbury Cross (the earliest Rood in Britain) and many more.

The Museum of Antiquities

Previously, the Society's collection was housed in the Museum of Antiquities, a joint museum of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne. It was opened in 1960 by Prof. Sir Ian Richmond after an agreement was reached between the University and the Society to house the Society's famous archaeological collection, which was previously displayed and stored in the Castle Keep and the Black Gate. The Museum grew to be the major archaeological museum in North East England and the main museum for Hadrian's Wall. A new agreement has now been signed with the University and Tyne and Wear Museums, covering the collections now in the Great North Museum.