The Rhos-Rydd Shield (Welsh: Tarian Rhos Rydd),[1][2] or Rhyd y Gors[3] (or less commonly Glan-rhos shield[2]) is a large copper-alloy Yetholm-type shield from the Bronze Age, found in Rhos-Rydd or Rhyd y Gors, near Blaenplwyf, Wales. It is currently held 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.
| Rhos Rydd Shield | |
|---|---|
| Tarian Rhos Rydd | |
 On display at the British Museum | |
| Material | Welsh copper alloy |
| Created | c. 1300–1000 BC |
| Present location | British Museum |
History
edit
This perfectly preserved Bronze Age facing from an ancient British shield was found in the marsh at Rhyd-y-gors, Ceredigion, before 1834 according to some sources.[4][5][3]
According to another source, the shield was found in 1804 in Rhos Rydd bog.[2]
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.[6]
There have been calls for the artefact to return to Wales.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Late Bronze Age bronze shield". Museum Wales. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
- ^ a b c "Rhos Rydd, Glan-Rhos, Aberllolwyn;Findspot of Glan-Rhos Shield;Rhyd-y-Gorse;Glan Rhos (420274)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
- ^ a b Walford, Edward; Cox, John Charles; Apperson, George Latimer (1911). The Antiquary. E. Stock.
- ^ The History of British Costume, (James Robinson Planché, 1834, Charles Knight, London)
- ^ Archaeologia Cambrensis: the journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Association. 1896. Assoc. 1896. p. 212.
- ^ "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.