Bronze Age, Gold bracelets from Capel Isaf, Carmarthenshire, 1600-1300 BC. Courtesy National Museums Wales
Wales from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages will be explored in a new gallery at the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, opening on December 8 2007.
Origins: in search of early Wales, is a redeveloped display of the museum’s archaeology collection, showcasing recent discoveries and shedding new light on old treasures.
“The objects chosen for display are just a small selection of many magnificent objects discovered in Wales,” comments Dr Mark Redknap of the Department of Archaeology and Numismatics.
“Since the opening of the old galleries in the 1970s, there have been three decades of new discoveries and research, as well as advances in the way in which museums engage with their audiences.”
The 'Red Lady' of Paviland Cave, placed on display in Wales for the first time since its discovery almost 200 years ago. Courtesy National Museums Wales
The most talked about exhibit is surely the Red Lady of Paviland, on loan from Oxford University Museum of Natural History for a year. The ‘Lady’ is actually the skeleton of a man and represents the oldest human remains found in Wales, dating back 29,000 years. The bones are coloured red with ochre, hence the name.
Other highlights on show include spectacular Bronze Age jewellery such as the Capel Isaf bracelets and the Burton hoard neck pendant; a Roman cup with its bronze handle formed into the shape of a leopard (from Abergavenny); and the stunning Viking sword guard found in the Small Reefs off the coast of Pembrokeshire, dating to the 12th century.
There is also the Capel Garmon firedog, a flamboyant piece of Iron Age blacksmithing, and a rare survival from the Reformation – a 13th century painted figure of Christ discovered in the rood loft of a Monmouthshire church.
One head of the Iron Age iron fire-dog from Capel Garmon, Conwy, 1st century AD. Courtesy National Museums Wales
Moving one of the ancient stones that once formed part of the Bryn Celli Ddu passage grave into place in the gallery was no mean feat. Bryn Celli Ddu, on Anglesey, is one of the best preserved Neolithic burial chambers of its kind, and a replica stone sits in place of the one now housed at the National Museum.
The stone is carved with zig-zags and spirals – very early Welsh art – and is shown alongside a section on early Christian monuments, which looks into rituals and burial practices.
The focus of the gallery is on people and change, and the contemporary relevance of artefacts. New specially commissioned artworks complete the display.
“The collections and their revised interpretations – rich and illuminating – help us to understand ourselves, and Wales, today,” says Dr Redknap.
