The Iron Age Shield... that's made of bark? The Enderby Shield | Curator's Corner S8 Ep7

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Published 2023-06-22
In 2015, what we knew about Iron Age shields all changed. And it changed in a field in Leicester...

Iron Age Curator Sophia Adams explains the construction of the first shield made of tree bark ever discovered in the Northern Hemisphere - how it was built, how it was used and how it changes what we know about shields of the time.

It's 2,200 years old. And it's an object you can really get behind.

Content Warning: Contains wholesome depictions of Iron Age woodworking

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:12 Where the shield was discovered
02:02 The Boss shows this was a shield
02:25 Harvesting & working willow bark
04:05 Reinforcing laths
05:07 The basketry boss
05:34 The hazel rim
06:26 Lime bast stitching
07:30 The poplar handle
07:52 Extra features
08:17 Decoration
09:05 Dating the shield
09:30 Looking at the original boss
10:36 Damage to the original
12:25 Original basketry
12:55 What this shield tells us
14:50 Outro

Acknowledgements:
This shield project was made possible by the inspiration and knowledge of Matthew Beamish and the skills and dedication of a team of field archaeologists, experimental archaeologists, independent specialists, conservators and scientists from The British Museum, University of Leicester Archaeological Services le.ac.uk/ulas, SUERC and York Archaeological Trust; including Caroline Cartwright and Barbara Wills (BM); Matthew Beamish, Adam Clapton and Roger Kipling (ULAS); Diederik Pomstra, Paul Windridge and Michael Bamforth.

With thanks to Everards of Leicestershire and Mike Winterton and family.

#curatorscorner #ironage

All Comments (21)
  • @a24-45
    Thank goodness there is no music added to this video. Unlike so many other historical presentations, it was a pleasure to listen to from beginning to end Please don't ever change the no-music format!
  • @greenman6141
    This is the kind of archeology I LOVE. Not about finding gold and jewels or some big flashy thing....but finds which reveal so much of the detail and complexity of the lives of people. The sheer range of the materials used, all so specific, to make the one item is breath taking. I often think about how much archeological knowledge was destroyed by the crass "treasure hunter" types. Like that goon who used dynamite to blow up Mayan temples.
  • @string-bag
    Hats off to the experimental archeologists who figured it out.
  • @By-the_Way
    I love it whenever the "this is a reconstructed shield everyone, not the original" pops up. And it's so interesting to see how they implemented organic material to create the shield through such craftsmanship.
  • @mikef.1000
    "Absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence"... very true. But the temptation is often for people to fill the absence with "what must have been", and that has led to many a furphy indeed!
  • I love Curator's Corner. I learn something new with every episode. It's a brilliant series.
  • I wish you all that somebody will look at you with same love as this lady looks at the shield (just a reminder - the reconstruction not the original).
  • @causewaykayak
    That was such a nice presentation. The curator gave due credit to her team and gave us a really detailed tour of the shield. It was nice to have possible contexts for its production and its use too. I'm for the jungle buster idea although perhaps Bark Shields were not unknown in skirmishes too. Another super curator's corner !
  • @Bovara
    I think it's fascinating to see the diverse knowledge of materials and different crafts, all coming together. Perhaps a pinnacle of craftsmanship before metal dominated. The replica is beautiful as well as functional, well done.
  • @kermit2999
    Pretty neat find. When I was knee high to a grasshopper, dad bought us kids Viking helmets, shields and swords from the local 5 and Dime. Within two weeks the horns where knocked off the helmets, Shields rent, and one sword broken. What more could you ask for young warriors.
  • @mattutt2888
    The small size and delicate material makes me wonder if it was for a child, ceremonial or as a toy.
  • @BrendanTBurke
    It's staggering when you begin to think about the amount of accumulated knowledge that went into the making of this shield. The properties of each species of tree that certain parts of it were made from can only have resulted from the trials and errors of countless artisans before them. A fairly simple looking object like this is amazing in not only that it survived these thousands of years but that it was actually crafted in the first place. Amazing!
  • This is great. I've made wooden shields and I've worked with all these materials while bushcrafting, making baskets and bark containers. Seeing two loves of mine together is fascinating! Thank you for sharing.
  • @nexussever
    Sophia Adams has just gained a new fan- I look forward to seeing more of her videos. And. as a side note, I love her hair style. It looks fantastic!
  • Thank you so much for this video. I was totally absorbed by Sophia's enthusiasm and knowledge.
  • This is by far my favorite series on Youtube! I've watched every single one of the Curator's Corner episodes, because they're always really interesting! Without exception, the curators manage to pull me in and keep me engaged for the whole length of the video! Once again: very well done, perfect example of how the digital transformation should be done.
  • @TonyLS9A
    An amazing find. And incredible reconstruction. Thank you for sharing.
  • @Deagon-c2b
    I'd sure love to try my hand at making a replica of one of these one day, kudos to the team that originally recreated one for giving us such a beautiful example of what the shield originally looked like.
  • Wonderful. I've been waiting for more information on the Enderby shield since I read about it's discovery years ago. I love the craftsmanship of the original and the reconstruction both. Clearly and wonderfully explained.