Trysor

This article is from Current Archaeology issue 435

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For archaeologists working in the UK, ‘treasure’ has a strict legal definition (see https://finds.org.uk/treasure and http://www.treasuretrovescotland.co.uk), but this word can also refer to much more everyday objects, which are cherished for their personal meaning. A new exhibition at Oriel Môn on Anglesey explores these themes through an eye-catching and eclectic array of artefacts, ranging from prehistoric to post-medieval in date, all of which were found on the island.

Trysor (Welsh for ‘treasure’; all of the exhibition’s text, and the labelling across the wider museum, is bilingual) draws together deliberately buried objects and accidental losses; items ranging from practical to personal to probably ritual; and includes both discoveries made decades earlier and very recent finds, some of which have never been on public display before.

The artefacts are mainly organised by historical period and theme; one case, for example, highlights prehistoric tools and weapons. There, visitors can see finely worked Neolithic polished stone axes, as well as a more enigmatic item: a macehead, which would normally be interpreted as ceremonial or a status symbol, though this example was crafted from an ordinary beach pebble. There are also objects highlighting the transformative technological advance that was the advent of metalworking, including Bronze Age axeheads and a wonderfully versatile mould from Bodwrdin: carved from sandstone, its faces each have different designs, allowing its owner to cast both spearheads and chisels.

As well as these pragmatic pieces, the exhibition features finds that are more mysterious – including Iron Age metalwork from Llyn Cerrig Bach, a lake that appears to have been used repeatedly to make votive offerings (see CA 273). The first evidence of these practices was discovered in 1942, but Trysor shows how the site still has more secrets to reveal. The exhibition includes a bridle bit and a terret ring (used to prevent the reins of a chariot from tangling) that were recovered in 2024 during investigations by Operation Nightingale (CA 421), a pioneering archaeological initiative working with military veterans and wounded service personnel. An accompanying caption notes that more finds will go on display once their conservation is complete.

Another discovery from a watery context is the collection of 16 late Iron Age and Roman items that were found near a spring at Llanfair-Mathafarn-Eithaf in 2020 (CA 410). Thought to represent deliberate offerings, its contents include bridle bits, harness fittings, and another terret ring; coins and a brooch; and a 20kg (44lb) ‘cake ingot’ of probably locally mined copper. Particularly characterful, however, is a small, beautifully detailed rendering of a ram’s head in leaded bronze (above), which may have decorated an Iron Age vehicle or topped a staff.

At the heart of the circular exhibition space, visitors can see the only hoard of Iron Age gold coins yet found in all of Wales (CA 403). Discovered near Llangoed between 2021 and 2023, its 16 staters (two are shown below) are all the more intriguing because they had been struck more than 150 miles (240km) to the east, at three Lincolnshire mints belonging to the Corieltauvi.

Ending (or beginning, depending on which way you move around the gallery) on a more personal note, another case contains various items of jewellery. Unlike the other displays, which focus on specific periods, these artefacts span the centuries, ranging from Bronze Age lock-rings (possibly hair ornaments) to Iron Age, Roman, and early medieval brooches; a 10th-century Irish bronze pin; and a 17th-century signet ring bearing an image of a bird of prey. There are beads, bangles, and other adornments of diverse dates, too – but perhaps the most poignant is a post-medieval posy ring with the words ‘Though absent yet constant’ running around its inside. ‘Treasures’ indeed, with a wealth of fascinating stories to tell.

Further information: Trysor runs at Oriel Môn in Llangefni, Anglesey, until 4 April 2027. Entry to the exhibition, and to the wider museum, is free. See http://www.orielmon.org/en/exhibitions/trysor for more details. An associated bilingual publication, Treasure from the Island/Trysorau Ynys Môn, featuring highlights from the exhibition, is set to be published this month.