Samlingar.shm.se (SIS) is the online collections service of the Swedish National Historical Museums (SHM), providing open access to metadata and digital resources from the institution’s collections. The service enables researchers, students, heritage professionals, and the public to search, explore, and reuse information about archaeological finds, cultural heritage objects, archival materials, and museum collections from across Sweden. A significant proportion of the available data and media can be freely reused under open licenses.
A core component of the platform is SHM’s archaeological collections, which constitute the largest archaeological collection in Sweden. The collections contain millions of objects and records originating from archaeological investigations conducted throughout the country over more than a century. They include artefacts, human and animal skeletal remains, ecofacts, scientific samples, and coins recovered from archaeological contexts, providing an unparalleled source for research on Sweden’s past.
Unlike many historical collections that primarily represent completed acquisitions, SHM’s archaeological collections are continuously expanding through the ongoing deposition of finds and documentation from new archaeological excavations. This constant inflow of material makes samlingar.shm.se a dynamic research resource, offering access to both long-established collections and newly accessioned archaeological data.
The service supports a wide range of research fields, including archaeology, osteology, environmental archaeology, bioarcheology, numismatics, digital humanities, and cultural heritage studies. By providing access to collection data at scale, samlingar.shm.se facilitates interdisciplinary research, data discovery, comparative analyses, and the long-term reuse of archaeological information. The platform’s functionality is continuously developed and new data becomes available while existing records are enhanced and enriched in line with the FAIR-principles.
This combination of extensive historical holdings, ongoing collection growth, and digital accessibility makes samlingar.shm.se a key national resource for archaeological research and data-driven heritage studies in Sweden.
