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Birdlip Grave Group, Bronze Mirror

Contributed by Gloucester City Museum

A group of iron-age treasures buried around AD 50 along with their owner.

One of the finest items of Celtic art to survive today.In 1879 workmen discovered three skeletons in a quarry between Crickley and Birdlip overlooking the Vale of Gloucester. With the bones, were some amazing Iron Age artefacts. The most important object is a handheld mirror of bronze. The front of this was originally highly polished for reflections, but the rear is decorated with flowing patterns worked into the metal. It is one of the finest items of Celtic art to survive in Britain and perhaps the finest example housed outside a national museum. The smaller items are also remarkable. There are fine bronze bowls and bracelets. The stylised face of a bird or animal can be seen in a silver gilt brooch and a bronze knife handle is shaped as the head of a bull or ox. There is also a bead necklace of amber and an exotic stone possible collected from as far away as China.

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  • 1 comment
  • 1. At 14:32 on 7 August 2012, Molster wrote:

    This object comes up in 4000-2000BCtimeline when it should be in the 200BC-200AD section. This makes it very hard to find! Please can you correct this? Thank you.

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