Rhyd-y-gors Shield
| Rhyd-y-gors Shield | |
|---|---|
 On display at the British Museum | |
| Material | Welsh copper alloy |
| Created | c. 1300–1000 BC |
| Present location | British Museum |
The Rhyd-y-gors Shield (Welsh: Tarian Rhyd-y-gors) is a large copper-alloy Yetholm-type shield from Bronze Age Britain, found in Wales, and now in the British Museum in London. It is completely flat, 667 mm across, and 0.7 mm thick, weighing 1929 grams. It dates from the 12th to the 10th century BC.
History
This perfectly preserved Bronze Age facing from an ancient British shield was found in the marsh at Rhyd-y-gors, Ceredigion, before 1834.[1]
The back of the shield would originally have been made of wicker, with the decorative bronze plating attached to the front. This shield is slightly more than two feet in diameter and is decorated with 20 concentric circular ribs alternating with rows of bosses (small brass knobs). It became part of the extensive collection of arms and armour acquired by Samuel Rush Meyrick (1783–1848), known as the Meyrick Collection.[2][3][full citation needed]
Following Meyrick's death, the collection was dispersed, and the shield was donated to the British Museum by Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks in 1873. This shield is an example of early Bronze Age copper alloy use.[4]
Proposed return to Wales
There have been calls in Welsh national media to return some of the more significant artefacts which were discovered in Wales from the British Museum. These artefacts include the Rhyd-y-gors (Rhos Rhydd), Moel Hebog and Welsh buckler shields. There are also calls to return the famous Mold Cape, the Llanllyfni lunula, the Red Lady of Paviland (Oxford University Museum of Natural History) and the Trawsfynydd Tankard (World Museum, Liverpool) all to a museum in Wales.[5]
See also
References
- ^ The History of British Costume, (James Robinson Planché, 1834, Charles Knight, London)
- ^ "Rhyd-y-gors, Carmarthen Podcast". Loquis. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ^ "English". Coflein. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ^ "shield | British Museum". The British Museum. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ "Buried treasure: calls for important Welsh artefacts to be brought back home". Nation.Cymru. 25 September 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2022.