The Witham Shield: A Spotlight Loan from the British Museum
The Witham Shield, a masterpiece of Iron Age art and an icon of the British Museum is returning to Lincoln in this Spotlight Loan exhibition
The Witham Shield is a masterpiece of Iron Age art and an iconic object in the collections of the British Museum. This British Museum Spotlight Loan exhibition presents a unique opportunity to see the shield as it returns to Lincolnshire for the first time in over 150 years.
Discovered during dredging of the River Witham at Washingborough in 1826, the shield was presented to the British Museum in 1872. Made in the 3rd Century BC, the Witham Shield is the bronze facing of a ceremonial shield, intricately and beautifully decorated with inlaid corals, swirling designs and animal heads.
In this Spotlight Loan exhibition you will not only be able to see the original shield, but also learn about its discovery and how it was made and decorated. The exhibition also explores the archaeology of the Witham Valley, an area of rich archaeological discoveries, and about the image of a wild boar that once adorned the face of the shield.
The exhibition is free to enter
To celebrate this important loan, we will be holding two family fun days:
'Warriors and Warpaint' on 4th April 2013
'At Home with the Celts' on 9th April 2013
We will also be holding a series of free public lectures about the Witham Shield and the fascinating and rich archaeology of the Witham Valley:
Tuesday 7th May, 7pm - Dr Julia Farley, University of Leicester - 'The Witham Shield in Context'
Tuesday 4th June, 7pm - Naomi Field, Prospect Archaeology - 'The Fiskerton Causeway'
These lectures are free, but please contact the museum to book your place.