Lava medallions - Souvenirs from a volcano Andrew Haycock, 22 Hydref 2018 Lava medallions and coins in lava from Mount Vesuvius, ItalyThe National Museum Wales Petrology (Rock) collection comprises 35,000 specimens, with many interesting rock samples from across Wales and the wider World. In the drawers of the Italian collection, alongside the pumice, volcanic ash and obsidian are these curious rocks. What are lava medallions?They are called lava medallions, medals or tablets, and along with coins embedded in lava they were probably first produced in the mid-18th Century when the ‘Grand Tour’ become fasionable among the wealthy elite of Europe. Taking in European cities like Paris, Rome, Venice, Florence and Naples, the ‘students’ would travel with a tutor on a Grand Tour to learn about languages, geography, culture, art and architecture. When passing through Naples, the volcano of Mount Vesuvius (Vesuvio) became a must see stop on the tour. Forget postcards, fridge magnets and selfies, the take home souvenir of the day was the lava medallion! People have long been fascinated by destructive power of Mount Vesuvius, the volcano had lain dormant for centuries before the famous eruption in 79 A.D. when the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed. Over the last two thousand years, the volcano has erupted many times. Between eruptions, Vesuvius can lie almost dormant for long periods of time before erupting violently once again. Volcanoes the world over that erupt in this explosive style after long periods of dormancy are known as Vesuvian eruption volcanoes. How were lava medallions made?To make a lava medallion, molten lava would have been retrieved (by some very brave individual with a long stick!) from a recent lava flow or lava close enough to the surface that was accessible and still hot enough to be malleable. It was then moulded, pressed with a stamp, or embedded with a coin, cooled in a bucket of water and sold to a passing grand tourist.The French Revolution in 1789 marked then end of Grand Tours as they were known, but with the advent of the railways in the early 19th Century and the beginnings of mass tourism, these distinct souvenirs once again became popular take-home keepsakes, and they were produced in their thousands.Over the years many of these medallions and lava coins have found their way into museum collections across the world. They often depict kings, Roman Emperors, famous scientists or events. All of the medallions and coins in the AC NMW collection date from the 19th Century, and originate from Mount Vesuvius, but examples in other collections have originated from Mount Etna, Sicily. If you would like to know more about lava medallions, please contact Andrew Haycock via:https://museum.wales/staff/665/Andrew-Haycock/
Perspectives on a Professional Training Year Placement Kimberley Mills, 16 Hydref 2018 "If you asked me what a magelonid was 18 months ago, I would have looked at you with a somewhat muddled expression. Let me tell you, a lot has changed since then. Roll onto the present day, after a year at Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales for my Professional Training Year (as part of my Zoology degree at Cardiff University), I could talk for as long as you are willing to listen about this fascinating family of marine bristle worms, commonly known as the shovel-head worms (Annelida: Magelonidae)." When my application was first approved from the Natural Sciences Department at the museum, I didn’t know what to expect. I had always loved anything marine and knew from the start this is the area I wanted to build a career around. This was a very broad declaration and beyond this, I was rather diffident in what I wanted to pursue. Therefore, my number one priority was to keep an open mind and make the most of everything the experience would offer. This view shaped a year filled with opportunities, that has not only been indispensable in developing my scientific skills in both hands on research and writing, but also in giving me a direction I am interested in for the future. The majority of the placement involved both behavioural and taxonomic studies on European magelonid species, through the practicing of methods such as time-lapse photography, live observation, scanning electron microscopy, high definition photography using a macroscope, and taxonomic drawings using a camera lucida attached to a microscope. As a result of this work, some very interesting findings were highlighted for the Magelonidae, with important implications for furthering our understanding of these enigmatic animals. Perhaps the most fascinating arose through extensive time-lapse photography and observing animals in aquaria within the marine laboratory, in which an un-described behaviour emerged in the tube dwelling species Magelona alleni. Later termed as ‘sand expulsion’, this behaviour was a highly conspicuous method of defecation where M. alleni would turn around in a burrow network, raise its posterior region into the water column and excrete sand around the tank. Just knowing I was most likely the first person to ever witness this was a very rewarding experience in itself! To understand why this novel behaviour was exhibited, the posterior morphology of M. alleni was compared to additional European species. These findings have led onto my first publication in a peer-reviewed journal, of which two more papers and an article are due to follow as a result of working closely with my supervisor throughout the year.I also got the opportunity to participate in tasks that are essential to the upkeep of the museum, such as curation, specimen fixation and preservation, along with invertebrate tank maintenance. Additionally, I participated in sampling trips, including a visit to Berwick-upon-Tweed and outreach events, such as ‘After Dark at the Museum’, which saw over 2,000 visitors, and the RHS show Cardiff. Overall, the museum is a very friendly, intellectual and dynamic environment that has more to offer than perhaps meets the eye. This is why anyone who wants to study the small, whacky and wonderful world of marine invertebrates should not pass up an opportunity to undertake a placement here. Spend any prolonged amount of time amongst the hundreds of thousands of specimens kept in the fluid store, and I guarantee you will not be able to escape a visceral appreciation of the natural history of our world. With this comes a feeling of preservation for all we have and a reinforcement of why museums are such a crucial component of our society today, something that is too easily forgotten. Read more about Kim's journey through her PTY Placement at National Museum Cardiff:https://museum.wales/blog/2017-08-04/A-new-world-of-worms---beginning-a-Professional-Training-Year-at-the-museum/https://museum.wales/blog/2017-11-15/A-tail-of-a-PTY-student/https://museum.wales/blog/2018-02-07/The-early-bird-catches-the-worm/
Caerdydd a’i fathdy yn Oes y Normaniaid. Edward Besly & Peter Webster, 5 Hydref 2018 Arian o gyfnod Gwilym Goch - blaen Arian o gyfnod Gwilym Goch - cefn Mae Amgueddfa Cymru newydd gaffael darn prin o hanes cynnar Caerdydd: ceiniog arian o gyfnod y brenin Normanaidd Gwilym II (1087-1100) a wnaed ym mathdy’r castell yn nechrau’r 1090au. Darn arian sydd newydd ei gaffael o gyfnod Gwilym Goch Mab Gwilym Goncwerwr (neu ‘y Bastard’) oedd Gwilym II ac roedd yn cael ei alw’n 'Gwilym Goch’ neu ‘Rufus’, efallai am fod ganddo wallt coch. Yn ystod ei deyrnasiad ef y dechreuodd y Normaniaid gynnal cyrchoedd i’r rhan hon o Gymru o dan Robert FitzHamon, barwn Normanaidd a oresgynnodd yr ardal a dod yn arglwydd cyntaf Morgannwg. Daeth y Normaniaid â’r arferiad o ddefnyddio darnau arian gyda nhw ac ymddengys bod bathdy wedi’i agor yn y castell yn fuan ar ôl ei sefydlu yn 1081. Fodd bynnag, nid oedd yr un darn arian a dadogwyd yn bendant i fathdy Caerdydd yng nghyfnod Gwilym Goch wedi’i gofnodi cyn i hwn ymddangos yn 2017, mewn casgliad preifat oedd yn cael ei werthu ar ocsiwn. Cyn goresgyniad y Normaniaid, roedd darnau arian bath yn cael eu defnyddio’n rheolaidd yn Lloegr yng nghyfnod yr Eingl-Sacsoniaid. Roedd ganddynt rwydwaith o fathdai a chyflenwad canolog o ddeiau i wneud yr arian ond doedd dim traddodiad o fathu arian yng Nghymru. Tref ffiniol oedd Caerdydd yn nyddiau cynnar y Normaniaid ac felly roedd rhaid i’w bathdy ymorol amdano’i hunan: ymddengys bod dei tu blaen (‘pen’) y darnau arian wedi’i fenthyca o rywle arall a delw’r brenin wedi’i ailysgythru, gan wneud iddo edrych braidd yn ddigri. Roedd dei y cefn (‘cynffon’) wedi’i wneud yn lleol ac mae arwyddnod y bathdy, ‘CAIRDI’ [CIVRDI neu CIIIRDI], wedi’i ysgythru’n glir ond yn amrwd arno ond ni allwn ddarllen enw’r bathwr yn iawn, ‘IÐHINI’ (Ð = ‘TH’) – efallai mai Æthelwine oedd ei enw (diddorol nodi mai enw Sacsonaidd yn hytrach nag un Normanaidd yw hwnnw). Roedd dyluniad yr arian bath yn cael ei newid bob ychydig flynyddoedd – ac roedd y brenin yn cael cyfran bob tro y cyhoeddwyd darnau arian newydd. Erbyn hyn, gwyddom am bedwar gwahanol gyhoeddiad o ddarnau arian o fathdy Caerdydd ag enw ‘William’ arnynt (gallai fod yn Gwilym Goncwerwr neu ei fab, Gwilym Goch) a phedwar cyhoeddiad arall yn enw Harri I (1100-35) ond maent i gyd yn eithriadol o brin. Yn rhyfel cartref teyrnasiad y Brenin Steffan (1135-54), syrthiodd Caerdydd i ddwylo plaid ei elyn yr Ymerodres Matilda, plaid yr Angefiniaid. Yn 1980, canfuwyd celc o dros 100 o ddarnau arian yng Nghoed y Wenallt, uwchlaw Caerdydd, y rhan fwyaf yn perthyn i gyhoeddiadau na wyddem amdanynt o’r blaen o gyfnod Matilda. Trawsnewidiwyd ein gwybodaeth am y cyfnod gan y canfyddiad hwn. Roedd yn cynnwys cyhoeddiadau barwnaidd o Gaerdydd ac Abertawe a dyma'r dystiolaeth gynharaf sydd gennym am yr enw 'Swansea'. Ar ôl hynny, fodd bynnag, nid oes sôn am fathdy Caerdydd. Mae ein darn arian newydd o gyfnod Gwilym Goch yn ddarn arall o’r jig-so am hanes cynnar Caerdydd a’r cylch. Mae llawer o ddarnau eraill o’r jig-so yn dal ar goll, a phwy a ŵyr beth sy’n dal heb ei ddarganfod? Bu Gwilym Goch farw ar 2 Awst 1100 pan drawyd ef â saeth wrth iddo hela yn y New Forest: damwain anffodus ynteu lofruddiaeth tybed? Edward Besly, Nwmismatydd (Curadur Darnau Arian a Medalau), Amgueddfa Cymru. Y castell Normanaidd fel y tybia CBHC yr oedd yn edrych. Credir na chodwyd y gorthwr cerrig tan ar ôl teyrnasiad Gwilym Goch ac mai o bren y byddai wedi’i godi’n wreiddiol. Mwnt a dyfrffos o’i gwmpas Man lle tybir yr oedd y wal rhwng y wardiau Mur Rhufeinig wedi’i ailddefnyddio, heb y tyrau oedd yn taflu allan mae’n fwy na thebyg Clawdd pridd a ffos y tu allan iddo Trychiad cynllunio trwy amddiffynfeydd pridd y castell cyn tynnu rhan allanol y clawdd canoloesol oddi yno yn y bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg a’r 20fed ganrif ac ail-greu mur y gaer Rufeinig. Olion mur y gaer Rufeinig Clawdd Rhufeinig Clawdd Normanaidd Mur y castell o’r cyfnod canoloesol diweddarach Mur Normanaidd y castell wedi’i ail-greu rhwng Porth y De a Thŵr y Cloc Mur gorllewinol y castell. Yn y bôn, wal y castell Normanaidd yw’r darn rhwng y tyrau. Y mwnt Normanaidd enfawr, gyda gorthwr gwag o gerrig a godwyd yn ddiweddarach yn y canoloesoedd. Y clawdd Canoloesol sy’n dal y tu mewn i’r muriau dwyreiniol. Olion adeilad o’r canoloesoedd hwyr sydd i’w weld yn y glaswellt ym mlaen y llun. Y wal gerrig a’r porth o’r ward allanol i’r ward fewnol, gan edrych o’r Gorthwr tua Phorth y De. Mae’n fwy na thebyg bod y wal hon yn rhan o amddiffynfeydd y castell Normanaidd. Y map a greodd Speed o Gaerdydd yn 1610. Dyfodiad y Normaniaid Ffrwyth datblygu mawr yn Oes Fictoria yw’r Gaerdydd a welwn heddiw i raddau helaeth ond mae ardal reit yng nghanol y ddinas lle bu caer Rufeinig ac a oresgynnwyd wedyn gan y Normaniaid. Ychydig o dystiolaeth, os o gwbl, sydd bod pobl yn byw yng Nghaerdydd rhwng diwedd y cyfnod Rhufeinig a dyfodiad y Normaniaid i Gymru yn y 1080au, ond efallai bod pobl yn byw am gyfnod yn y man lle’r oedd y ffordd Rufeinig o Gaerllion i Gaerfyrddin yn croesi afon Taf. Pan gyrhaeddodd y Normaniaid, dyma'r man lle penderfynwyd sefydlu canolfan filwrol a gweinyddol eu harglwyddiaeth newydd, Morgannwg, gan ailddefnyddio olion yr hen gaer Rufeinig i godi mur a sefydlu tref fechan wrth borth y de. Ail-greu’r castell Normanaidd Y castell oedd canolbwynt Caerdydd yn y cyfnod Normanaidd ond mae adeilad presennol y castell yn wahanol iawn i’r un gwreiddiol. Er mwyn cyrraedd at y castell Normanaidd, mae’n rhaid i ni dynnu’r addasiadau a wnaed gan ardalyddion Bute yn y bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg a’r 20fed ganrif, a oedd yn cynnwys adfer rhannau o furiau’r hen gaer Rufeinig. Cododd y Normaniaid glawdd enfawr o bridd dros olion muriau’r gaer Rufeinig, o fan ger cornel ogledd-orllewinol y castell ac o gwmpas i’r ochrau sy’n wynebu Ffordd y Brenin a Heol y Dug erbyn hyn. Atgyweiriwyd muriau eraill y gaer Rufeinig (o fan ger porth presennol y de ac o gwmpas i’r ochr sy’n wynebu Parc Bute erbyn hyn) ond, yn rhyfedd ddigon, ymddengys bod y tyrau oedd yn taflu allan ac yn rhan o’r amddiffynfeydd Rhufeinig wedi’u tynnu – i gael deunyddiau i wneud y gwaith atgyweirio efallai. Mae’r mur Normanaidd hwn i’w weld o hyd, er bod cryn dipyn o waith adfer wedi’i wneud arno yn y bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg, rhwng porth y de a Thŵr y Cloc ac i'r gogledd o adeiladau pen gorllewinol y castell. Daeth y deunydd ar gyfer y cloddiau ar yr ochr ogleddol, yr ochr ddwyreiniol a rhan o’r ochr ddeheuol o ffos enfawr a gloddiwyd o gwmpas y darn amgaeedig i gyd. Cafodd y ffos hon ei llenwi ar Ffordd y Brenin a Heol y Castell/Stryd y Dug ac mae’n gorwedd o dan y ddyfrffos orllewinol bresennol a'r lledgamlas ogleddol. Cewch gipolwg ar y ffos hon yn achlysurol pan agorir ffosydd gwasanaeth o gwmpas y castell ond cawn syniad cliriach o’i maint o dystiolaeth John Ward, curadur Amgueddfa ac Oriel Gelf Caerdydd rhwng 1893 ac 1912. Gwelodd Ward y toiledau tanddaear yn cael eu cloddio yn Ffordd y Brenin ac, eu eu bod o dan y ddaear yn llwyr, dywedodd nad oeddent yn cyrraedd gwaelod y ffos. Yn niagram cynllunio Ward o glawdd pridd y castell, gwelir canlyniad yr holl waith cloddio ffosydd – y clawdd sylweddol sy’n dal y tu mewn i furiau’r castell (i’r chwith yn y diagram) a’r un fath ar y tu allan. Y tu mewn i’r amddiffynfeydd allanol, cododd y Normaniaid fwnt enfawr – tomen tebyg i fasn pwdin a’i ben i lawr, a dyfrffos fawr o’i gwmpas. Mae hwn i’w weld o hyd, er bod Capability Brown wedi gwneud peth gwaith tirlunio ar y mwnt tua diwedd y 18fed ganrif a bod y ddyfrffos (a lanwyd gan Brown) wedi’i hailgloddio yn y bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg ac efallai ei bod ar ffurf fwy rheolaidd nag y bu. Gallwn dybio bod rhyw fath o adeiladwaith ar ben y mwnt, tŵr a phalisâd pren mae’n debyg, a bod y 'gorthwr gwag’ presennol o gerrig wedi cymryd eu lle yn yr 1240au. Credir bod gweddill tu mewn y castell wedi’i rannu fel y gwelir yn awr â rhyw fath o wal rhwng y gorthwr a phorth y de. Mae’n debygol, ond nid yn bendant, mai wal gerrig oedd yno. Gallwn ddisgwyl bod adeiladau (o bren mae’n fwy na thebyg) yn y ddwy ‘ward’ a gafodd eu creu felly ond, hyd yma, ni ddaethpwyd ar draws adeiladweithiau pendant yn yr ardal fechan a gloddiwyd. Y dref Normanaidd I’r de o’r castell oedd tref fechan Caerdydd. Y map a grewyd yn 1610 gan John Speed yw’r olygfa glasurol o’r dref ganoloesol. Mae’n dangos darn o dir a mur o’i amgylch yn ymestyn i’r de o fan ychydig i’r dwyrain o gornel de-ddwyreiniol y castell i waelod lle mae Heol Eglwys Fair yn awr. Fodd bynnag, map o’r dref yn y cyfnod canoloesol diweddar yw hwn. Mae’n debygol bod y drefn Normanaidd gyntaf yn llai, a’i ffiniau’n ymestyn i lle mae Stryd Womanby, Stryd y Cei, Stryd yr Eglwys a Heol Sant Ioan (yr hanner cylch o strydoedd ym mhen gogleddol y dref fel y’i gwelir ar fap Speed). Gellir gweld y patrwm hwn o hyd yn strydoedd Caerdydd ac mae cyffordd Heol Fawr a Heol Eglwys Fair, a chyffordd Heol Sant Ioan a Working Street i’w gweld ar y man lle credir roedd y terfyn cynnar. Trafodir hyn a llawer o hanes dogfennol Caerdydd yn oesau’r Normaniaid a’r Angefiniaid gan David Crouch (2006). Ni wireddwyd gobaith Crouch y bydd archaeoleg yn ychwanegu at y darlun hwn hyd yma. Ni ddaethpwyd o hyd i adeiladweithiau mor hen wrth gloddio yn y man lle’r awgrymir roedd y dref gyntaf (yn Stryd Womanby a Stryd y Castell) ond mae’r gwaith yn cadarnhau bod pobl yn byw yno yn oes y Normaniaid. Yn wir, wrth i drigolion Caerdydd yn Oes Fictoria fynd ati i gloddio selerydd, collwyd llawer o dystiolaeth bosibl, gwaetha’r modd. Peter Webster, Cymrawd Ymchwil er Anrhydedd, Amgueddfa Cymru (cyn-ddarlithydd, Prifysgol Caerdydd) Darllen Pellach Castell Caerdydd Ceir ymdriniaeth helaeth o’r castell canoloesol yn CBHC, An inventory of the ancient monuments in Glamorgan, Vol. III, Part 1a, Medieval Secular Monuments, the early castles from the Norman conquest to 1217, Llundain 1991, 162-211, sydd, er gwaetha’i deitl, yn adrodd stori’r castell hyd at yr 20fed ganrif. Rhoddir rhagor o gefndir i waith adfer Ardalyddion Bute gan J. P. Grant, pensaer i’r 4ydd Ardalydd (Cardiff Castle, its history and architecture, Caerdydd 1923). Y Dref Gan David Crouch y mae’r drafodaeth orau ar Gaerdydd yr oes Normanaidd. ‘Cardiff before 1300’ tt.34-41 yn J.R.Kenyon, D.M.Williams (Goln), Caerdydd. Architecture and Archaeology in the Medieval Diocese of Llandaff, Trafodion Cynhadledd Cymdeithas Archaeolegol Prydain 29, Llundain 2006. Mae hwn yn cynnwys cyfeiriadau at waith cynharach gan W.Rees (1962) a D.Walker (1978).
Coast – an exhibition fusing art, science and museum activism Julian Carter, 5 Hydref 2018 Over the past few months the museum has been working closely with colleagues at the beautiful Oriel y Parc gallery in St Davids to bring together an exhibition celebrating Wales ‘Year of the Sea’ called ‘Coast’.The exhibition fuses artworks and natural science specimens specially selected by the Oriel y Parc team from Amgueddfa Cymru’s collections, and displays these alongside some of the recent museum activisim work of Amgueddfa Cymru’s 'Youth Forum Group' highlighting the issues of plastic pollution.The multidisciplinary nature of the display explores how the sea has inspired artists for centuries, highlights the biodiversity of the Pembrokeshire coast, and how plastic now impacts on the environment and our everyday life.Centre piece to the art works is Jan van de Cappelle’s masterpiece ‘A Calm’, surrounded by sea and coast inspired paintings from a selection of other artists including Cedric Morris and John Kyffin Williams. Amongst these works are specimens from the natural science collections capturing the richness of Pembrokeshire's wildlife, including the skeleton of a leatherback turtle found dead on Skomer Island in 1988.The turtle had in the past been on display at the visitor centre on Skomer, but was removed a number of years back when the buildings on the Island underwent redevelopment. In need of some repairs and cleaning, the specimen became an excellent project for one of our conservation student placements at the museum, Owen Lazzari. The end result has enabled us to bring the specimen back to Pembrokeshire to form one of the centrepieces of the exhibition.Other highlights from the natural science collections include one of our historic Blaschka glass models dating from the late 1800s, and a Goose barnacle covered builder's helmet found off the Welsh Coast.Further information can be found on Oriel y Parc's website: https://www.pembrokeshirecoast.wales
Who Decides? - what you had to say Guest Blog: Thea Green, 20 Awst 2018 Hi, I’m Thea, a sixth form student from Shropshire who decided to create this short video as part of my work experience at the National Museum Cardiff.I had heard about Who Decides? before I became involved in the exhibition, so I was very eager to find out more. After working with the public opinion cards, speaking to the people involved in the museum and doing some short interviews, I created an animation that I thought would best reflect the aims of exhibition and the feedback it had received.I am passionate about art and against the idea that art and museums are ‘elitist’ or should be for the ‘privileged’ rather than the majority, so I wanted to focus on this issue in the video.Working with the WallichThe exhibition itself was incredibly eye opening for me; the museum had decided to work with the charity The Wallich to involve people with experience of homlessness in the process of designing and creating the exhibit and gives the public the chance to choose some of the artwork on display. I haven't seen an exhibition that has ever taken this kind of approach, so I found it intriguing to see how others reacted to the idea.I hope this refreshing approach to curation will be an archetype for future exhibits and museums because it challenges what we usually connote with galleries and exhibits and hopefully encourages more people to visit exhibitions and museums.Who Decides? is on show at National Museum Cardiff until 2 September 2018. You can also contribute to Who Decides? by voting for your favourite work to be ‘released’ from the store and placed on public display.
