Women's and girls' jewellery
Iron Age, 400-200 BC
From Britain
This is a selection of fine jewellery that would have been worn
by some women and girls in the middle of the Iron Age. Evidence
from burials in this period indicates that very simple brooches
were worn. However, apart from these, jewellery is uncommon and
this suggests that few people at this time wore flamboyant costumes
- especially as compared with women living in northern France or
Germany at this time.
Brooches were often very simple and little more than safety pins
for holding clothes together. But some people did own brooches with
decoration that could include red or white coral, or red glass. The
brooch shown inside the necklace is very unusual as it has ample
coral decoration. Glass beads were only made in a few places in
Iron Age Britain. To own a necklace with so many beads was very
unusual. Most women would have only worn one or two glass beads, if
any at all. These were often not worn around the neck, but as
earrings or in the hair.
Bangles could have been worn around the wrists, but in some
parts of northern Europe they were worn as anklets. They could be
made out of bronze, but could also be carved out of soft stone such
as shale or jet. Rings were also very uncommon, and might be worn
on a finger or a toe.
S. James and V. Rigby, Britain and the Celtic Iron Ag (London, The British Museum Press, 1997)
I.M. Stead, Celtic art in Britain before t (London, The British Museum Press, 1987, revised edition 1997)