Yetholm shield
The Yetholmschild (English Yetholm-type shield ; named after Kirk Yetholm in the border region in Scotland , where three shields were found in a peat bog ) is a distinctive shield type from the Bronze Age (1200–800 BC) in north-western Europe. Many surviving metal shields are generally believed to be ceremonial and not practical. This includes the Yetholm and Battersea shields .
Almost all 22 known yetholm shields were found in Great Britain and Ireland ( bronze shield from Lough Gur ), one in Denmark. Some are only preserved in fragments and another seven or eight are only known from written sources, but are now lost. The shields vary in size, but are otherwise identical. Rock carvings from southern Scandinavia show shields with concentric or dotted rings, the resemblance of which is striking. The impressive shields should have indicated the high social status of the owners.
The round shields are made of a copper alloy with 11 to 14% tin . They are provided with a central boss. The shield surface of raised ribs in concentric rings is created by driving from the back. Between the rib rings there are rings made of hemispherical bosses about 4 mm in diameter. The outer edge of the shield has been hammered down to create a strong edge. A handle made from a thick piece of sheet bronze is riveted over the bosses from the inside. Also included are a pair of metal tabs for the shoulder strap. The rivets are designed similar to the decorative bosses on the front and are difficult to identify. Probably the uniform size and depth of the bosses was created using stamps, although contemporary tools were not found. The signs show a high level of skill and because of their similarity it is likely that they were all made in the same workshop. The shields vary in the number of rings and thus in size. The largest shield ( found in Ayrshire in 1779 ) has 29 rib rings and 29 boss rings. The smallest, probably originally from County Antrim but found in the Thames , has eleven.
Although the embossed design and folded edge added rigidity, the shields were too thin for combat. Some had probably been destroyed during a sacrifice ceremony. The South Cadbury shield was found stabbed three times by a wooden stake in a ditch. Its discovery was followed by a metallurgical analysis of other specimens, which suggested that most shields were in the 12th century BC. Were made. The South Cadbury Shield, recovered from excavations at Cadbury Castle , was erected in the middle of the 10th century BC. Chr. Deposited. A shield from Long Wittenham in Oxfordshire has two diamond-shaped perforations, like those made by spearheads .
With the exception of the South Cadbury shield, all shields were found in the wet context. They were part of a common practice of placing valuable items in wetlands. Presumably this practice was shaped by religious beliefs, the details of which are unknown, but also took hold on the European continent.
See also
- Shield finds in Ireland
- Celtic art
- Bronze shields from Herzsprung
- Battersea shield
- Witham shield
- Wandsworth shield
literature
- M. Uckelmann: The function of Bronze Age Shields. Warfare in Bronze Age Europe: Manufacture and use of weaponry. Oxford, 2011.