Visiting our Archaeology Gallery, you learn first of all about the investigative processes used by archaeologists. You can record finds, use microscopes and rebuild Roman pots just as an archaeologist would.
The gallery then takes us on a rapid journey through time, from the Stone Age and Iron Age, into the Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods, then through to medieval times. Half of the gallery is dedicated to the history of 
Barking Abbey, the Borough’s greatest archaeological site.
Items on display include a Roman sarcophagus (stone coffin), stone tools, a Saxon drinking glass and medieval masonry. Nearby is the Dagenham Idol, currently on loan to Valence House from Colchester Museum. The Idol is one of the earliest known representations of the human figure ever found in Europe.