1. ‘Celtic’ designs

2. The time before the arrival of the Romans in Britain is called the Iron Age (about 800 BC to AD 43). It was the time when iron was first used instead of bronze to make tools and weapons. In the parts of Europe that the Romans never conquered, the name ‘Iron Age’ is used to cover a much longer time. Often all Iron Age people are called ‘Celts’, but in fact many different sorts of people lived in different parts of Britain and Europe at this time.

3. Place (findspot) Found/Acquired British Isles Date 1stC-2ndC Period/Culture Romano-British
Description Copper alloy and enamel dragonesque brooch. Dimensions Length: 70 millimetres Curator's comments The 'dragonesque' form of this brooch is typically Romano-British: first appearing after the start of the Roman conquest of southern England in AD 43, but embodying native artistic taste. Dragonesque brooches were not only decorative objects, but also functional fasteners - a strongly-curved pin (missing on this example) would have held a thick fold of cloth. C. Johns, The jewellery of Roman Britain: Celtic and classical traditions (London, UCL Press, 1996), p. 152, fig. 7.2
brooch

4. Title (object) Londesborough Brooch Materials silver, gold, glass, amber Techniques inlaid, gilded, cast Place (findspot) Found/Acquired Ireland (?) Date 8thC(late)-9thC(early) Period/Culture Celtic (Irish)
Department: Prehistory and Europe
Registration number: 1888,
brooch

5. Title (object) Breadalbane Brooch Materials silver, gold, glass Techniques gilded, filigree, cast, cabochon (polished gems) Place (findspot) Found/Acquired Scotland (?) Date 8thC Period/Culture Pictish (pin) Celtic (Irish)
Department: Prehistory and Europe
Registration number: 1919,1218.1
brooch

6. armlets Object types armlet Materials copper alloy
Techniques enamelled Place (findspot) Found/Acquired Drummond Castle Date Period/Culture Romano-British
Department: Prehistory and Europe
Registration number: 1838, a
armlets

7. Bracelet Materials gold, enamel Techniques wirework, enamelled Place (findspot) Excavated/Findspot: Rhayader (Wales) Date 1stC-2ndC Period/Culture Romano-British
Department: Prehistory and Europe
Registration number: 1900,1122.1
bracelet

8. Title (object) The Desborough Mirror Materials bronze Techniques engraved Place (findspot) Found/Acquired Desborough, Found in ironstone digging in Date 50BC-50 Period/Culture Iron Age
Department: Prehistory and Europe
Registration number: 1924,0109.1
mirror

9. detail of mirror

10. Materials silver, lead (
Materials silver, lead (?), gold, amber Techniques riveted, inlaid, incised, gilded, cast Place (findspot) Found/Acquired Tara, Hill of (?) Found/Acquired Skreen (? near), Ireland Date 8thC-9thC(early) Period/Culture Celtic (Irish)
Department: Prehistory and Europe
Registration number: 1893,
brooch

11. Title (object) The Waterloo Helmet Materials glass, copper alloy, bronze Techniques repoussé (shapes and patterns ‘pushed’ from reverse side of metal sheet, enamelled Place (findspot) Excavated/Findspot Waterloo Bridge ( Found/Acquired Thames, River, Waterloo Bridge, London Period/Culture Iron Age
Department: Prehistory and Europe
Registration number: 1988,1004.1
helmet

12. Title (object) The Snettisham Great Torc Materials electrum (natural alloy form of silver and gold) Techniques twisted , embossed, chased, cast Place (findspot) Found/Acquired Ken Hill, Norfolk Date 75BC (circa) Period/Culture Iron Age
Department: Prehistory and Europe
Registration number: 1951,0402.2
detail of torc

13. detail of torc

14. Object types latchet (fastener) Materials enamel, copper alloy
Techniques inlaid, enamelled, cast Place (findspot) Found/Acquired Dowris (?), Ireland Date 7thC Period/Culture Celtic (Irish)
Department: Prehistory and Europe
Registration number: 1854,
fastener for clothes

15. Title (object) The Battersea Shield Materials glass, bronze Techniques repoussé, relief, engraved, enamelled Place (findspot) Found/Acquired Thames, River Found/Acquired Battersea, found in River Thames, probably near to the Chelsea Suspension Bridge, London Date 350BC-50BC Period/Culture La Tène
Department: Prehistory and Europe
Registration number: 1857,0715.1
shield

16. detail of shield

17. detail of shield

18. Find out more about the Iron Age
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