handle;
shield
- Museum number
- ML.1494
- Description
-
Iron shield handle comprising an iron strip with expanded rounded terminals, with a large rivet through each terminal. Mineral-replaced wood traces show that the rivets went through 7-8 mm of solid wood.
- Production date
- 500 BC - 300 BC (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Width: 34 - 35 millimetres (terminals)
-
Diameter: 21 millimetres (rivet heads)
-
Height: 15.90 millimetres
-
Length: 176 millimetres
-
Weight: 59 grammes
- Curator's comments
- Stead and Rigby 1999
Context: Shields; Handles.
Remains are limited to iron fittings from wooden shields: handles, binding and band-shaped umbos.
Handles: Distinctive artefacts, comprising an iron strip with expanded rounded terminals, attached to the shield by a large rivet through each terminal. The handle spanned the space covered by the wooden spindle-shaped boss. It crossed the width of the shield and mineral-replaced wood traces show that the rivet went through solid wood with the grain running the length of the shield. Its large rivet heads were visible on the front of the shield and were sometimes ornamented. Handles are rarely found with band-shaped umbos (only ten from the 220 shields at Gournay, Brunaux, J.-L., and Rapin, A., 1988, ‘Gournay II: boucliers et lances, dépôts et trophées’, Paris, 36) but are frequently the only surviving elements of La Tène I shields: e.g. Ecury-sur-Coole 113, Les Jogasses grave 7, both cart-burials and Villeneuve-Renneville grave 11.
- Location
- On display (G50/dc13)
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- ML.1494
