Welcome

Gathering the Jewels features over 30,000 images of objects, books, letters, aerial photographs and other items from museums, archives and libraries throughout Wales.

Search the map

Thumbnail image of Wales,

New to Gathering the Jewels is G.I.S. A geographical search facility that will enable searching by location and place name.

Topics

Home » Religion and Belief » Pre-Christian worship » Mold Gold Cape

Displaying results 1 to 1 out of 1

Page 1

  • The Mold cape is a unique ceremonial gold cape which dates from the Bronze Age. This is a replica of the original which is held in the British Museum, London. The cape was found in 1833 by workmen who were quarrying for stone in an ancient burial mound in Mold. The mound lay in a field named Bryn yr Ellyllon (the Fairies' or Goblins' Hill). The workmen uncovered a stone-lined grave containing the crushed gold cape around the remains of a skeleton. The cape would not have been suitable for everyday wear and would have been worn on ceremonial occasions. The cape is regarded as one of the finest examples of prehistoric sheet-gold working and is unique in form and design. It was beaten from a single gold ingot and decorated with ribs and bosses. It was attached to a lining, possibly of leather, which covered the chest and shoulders of the wearer.
The Mold gold Cape (replica) c. 1900-1600 BC