Battersea Shield

Battersea Shield

On display in the British Museum
Material	Bronze
Size	Length: 77.7 cm Width: 34.1–35.7 cm Weight: 3.4 kg
Created	Iron Age, c.350–50 BC
Place	River Thames, London
Present location	Room 50, British Museum, London
Registration	1857,0715.1

The Battersea Shield is one of the most significant pieces of ancient Celtic military equipment found in Britain. It is a sheet bronze covering of a (now vanished) wooden shield decorated in La Tène style. The shield is on display in the British Museum, while a replica is housed in the Museum of London.

History

The Battersea Shield probably dates from the 1st century BC or early 1st century AD, though an earlier date is possible, and dates from as early as 350 BC have been suggested. It was dredged from the bed of the River Thames in London in 1857, during excavations for the predecessor of Chelsea Bridge; in the same area workers found large quantities of Roman and Celtic weapons and skeletons in the riverbed, leading many historians to conclude that the area was the site of Julius Caesar's crossing of the Thames during the 54 BC invasion of Britain.

Description

The Battersea Shield is decorated with repoussé decoration and enamel. The decoration is in the typically Celtic La Tène style, consisting of circles and spirals. As a decorative piece it would not have been an effective shield in combat. As it shows no signs of battle damage, it is believed that the shield was cast into the river as a votive offering and was never used in battle. The metal plate of the shield that remains would have been fixed onto a plain, round wooden shield behind it.

References

• Stead, Ian Mathieson (1985), The Battersea Shield, British Museum Publications, ISBN 0-7141-1375-1.

See also

• Witham Shield
• Wandsworth Shield
• Waterloo Helmet

External links

• British Museum: the Battersea shield highlights page

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