The Pitt Rivers Museum's accession books for the founding collection were not compiled until the 1920s when they were produced by E.S. Thomas, an assistant to Henry Balfour (the Curator). It is now thought that lists of artefacts were created by listing objects in the museum displays according to their arrangement (by comparing photographs from the early twentieth-century of the displays with the lists). This is confirmed in several places by notes saying that information was unable to be verified because the object could not be inspected in detail.

The accession books are set up in sets of groups of artefacts with headings, effectively what Pitt-Rivers fifty years earlier had called series. A comparison of the 1920s series with those in 1874 is provided here.

1884.1. Model Houses etc

1884.2. Locks and Keys

1884.3. Headrests and Stools

1884.4. Cradles and Baby Carriers

1884.5. Spoons

1884.6. Food bowls etc

1884.7. Primitive Food etc Vessel (Substitute for Pottery)

1884.8. Fire-making

1884.9. Agricultural Implements

1884.10. Domestic Utensils etc for Food Preparation etc

1884.11. Food Quest - Fishing

1884.12. Weapons: Clubs

1884.13. Staves

1884.14. Whips, goads etc

1884.15. Weapons: Bows

1884.16. Weapons: Cross-bows

1884.17. Weapons: Quivers

1884.18. Weapons: Blow-guns, Darts and Quivers

1884.19. Weapons: Spears, Darts

1884.20. Harpoons

1884.21. Axes and Halberds

1884.22 Glaives

1884.23. Shark tooth weapons

1884.24. Swords etc.

1884.25. Throwing knives and allied chopping knives, boomerangs

1884.26. Ceremonial Weapons

1884.27. Firearms

1884.28. Firearms Accessories

1884.29. Weapons: Slings Lassos and bolas

1884.30. Defence: Shields

1884.31. Defence: Armour

1884.32. Defence: Helmets

1884.33. Tools

1884.34. Ogee blades

1884.35. Pottery: Primitive and Ancient Hand-moulded

1884.36. Pottery: Tools

1884.37. Pottery: Ancient wheel-made

1884.38. Pottery: Ancient Cypriot

1884.39. Ancient Cypriot Pottery and Stone heads and figurines

1884.40. Pottery: Chiefly modern

1884.41. Miscellaneous pottery

1884.42. Ancient Glass

1884.43. Basketry twill and checker

1884.44. Basketry Coil and Wicker work

1884.45. Bark cloth beaters

1884.46. Weaving

1884.47. Metal working Tools, implements etc

1884.48. String-work Net-work etc

1884.49. Snow shoes Skates

1884.50. Horse-shoes etc

1884.51. Stirrups Saddles Spurs

1884.52. Riding Horse-bits

1884.53. Horse etc Trappings and Furniture

1884.54. Modes of Navigation

1884.55. Paddles

1884.56. Charms Magic etc.

1884.57. Treatment of Dead

1884.58. Religious Emblems: Images and Accessories

1884.59 Religious Figures

1884.60. Primitive Medicines and Instruments

1884.61. Design - Development and Degradation of [poss matched]

1884.62. Design Human Form in Art Development and Degradation [poss matched]

1884.63. Design (Development of Geometrical) [poss matched]

1884.64. Design Loop coil [poss matched]

1884.65. Human form in Savage Art [poss matched]

1884.66. Human form in Barbaric Art [poss matched]

1884.67. Human form in Barbaric Art and Civilised Art [poss matched]

1884.68. Animal form in art [poss matched]

1884.69. Art and Painting Fancy Carving [poss matched]

1884.70. Toilet Appliances

1884.71. Hair-pins and combs

1884.72. Pins

1884.73. Personal Ornaments: Shell, bone

1884.74. Personal Ornaments: Teeth and claws

1884.75. Personal Ornaments: Nuts, seeds etc

1884.76. Personal Ornaments: Beadwork of glass, shell and beads

1884.77. Personal Ornaments: Pendants

1884.78. Personal Ornaments: Torques, rings, bracelets

1884.79. Personal Ornaments: Penannular and ring brooches

1884.80. Personal Ornaments: Bronze belt ornaments, clasps, studs, hooks, buckles, belt ornaments

1884.81. Personal Ornaments: Silver clasps etc, Bronze clasps and buckles including plain buckles

1884.82. Personal Ornaments: Metal bangles, bracelets, anklets

1884.83. Personal Ornaments: Headdresses

1884.84. Deformation: Personal Ornaments: Nose and ear

1884.85. Deformation Tatoo [sic]

1884.86. Deformation Skulls and figurines of pottery etc

1884.87. Clothing: Fibre skirts, hide, string etc

1884.88. Clothing: N. American Indians

1884.89. Clothing: India, Ceylon. Costume models

1884.90. Clothing

1884.91. Hats and headdresses

1884.92. Shoes etc

1884.93. Fans

1884.94. Umbrellas and sunshades

1884.95. Fly Whisks

1884.96. Pouches, Bags, Belts, Sashes

1884.97. Weights and Scales Measuring (length, time)

1884.98. Writing etc

1884.99. Currency

1884.100. Toys and Games

1884.101. Smoking pipes

1884.102. Snuff taking

1884.103. Chewing Betel etc etc

1884.104. Distaffs Spindles etc

1884.105. Needles and Cases

1884.106. Hair-samples ...

1884.107. Music Bells

1884.108. Music Percussion

1884.109. Music Percussion Drums

1884.110. Music Percussion

1884.111. Music Wind

1884.112. Music Trumpets

1884.113. Music Stringed Instruments

1884.114. Masks

1884.115. Headhunting trophies

1884.116. Lamps

1884.117. Miscellaneous

1884.118. Implements: Bone, Ivory, Horn

1884.119. Implements: Copper, Bronze

1884.120. Iron Implements

1884.121. Iron implements: swords, knives, daggers

1884.122. Stone implements: Palaeolithic period

1884.123. Stone implements: Neolithic and Mesolithic, Madelainean etc

1884.124. Upper Palaeolithic implements

1884.125. Neolithic implements

1884.126. Neolithic celts

1884.127. 'Modern' stone etc implements, hammers, axe-heads

1884.128. Modern Stone implements: mullers etc, pestles, mortars

1884.129. Whetstones (hones) and polishers, burnishers, Net weights, modern stone implemetns, pitted pebbles etc

1884.130. Modern Stone etc implements, sinkers, weights

1884.131. Stone ‘Implements’ Cores

1884.132. Stone Implements Flakes

1884.133. Stone Implements Worked Flakes Scrapers

1884.134. Stone Implements Knives Spearheads etc

1884.135. Stone Implements Arrow heads of flint etc

AP, April 2011.