Colour our collections Jennifer Evans, 2 Chwefror 2017 From 6 to 10 February there will be a week long colouring-fest happening on social media.Led by the New York Academy of Medicine Library, who first launched the campaign last year, libraries, archives, and museums around the world are sharing free colouring sheets based on materials in their collections. Users are invited to download and print the sheets and share their filled-in images on social media, using the hashtag #ColorOurCollections (because the campaign launched in America most institutions are using the American spelling of colour!). Last year, more than 210 libraries and cultural institutions participated.So for this year we have put together a small colouring book based on a few of our favourite rare books from the Willoughby Gardner collection on early natural history.Download the book here [PDF] – and let us see your creative skills!Post images of your coloured pages on social media with the hashtags #lliwioeincasgliadau or #colorourcollections and tag us in @Amgueddfa_Lib And don’t forget to check out which other institutions around the world are taking part using the #colorourcollections hashtag or visiting the website of the New York Academy of MedicineHappy colouring!!
West African Worms that Dig Katie Mortimer-Jones, 30 Ionawr 2017 I have been specialising in a group of marine bristleworms called magelonids for the last 17 years. Magelonids are known as shovelhead worms due to their distinctive spade-like heads that they use to dig in the soft sediments in which they live. Shovelhead worms have a world-wide distribution, generally living in shallow waters, although a few deep water species are known. I study the taxonomy of the group - a branch of science concerned with the classification of all living things, involving describing species, some which may be new to science. Principally I have worked on specimens from Europe, the Indian Ocean and the seas surrounding the Arabian Peninsula. However, more recently I have also been studying the behaviour of this fascinating group, investigating how they feed, burrow and move etc.I was invited to colloborate with the University Museum of Bergen (UMB), Norway back in 2013 to work on shovelhead worms from Western Africa. The project, The Marine Invertebrates of Western Africa aims to investigate seabed samples from the West African continental shelf from Morocco to Angola. Very little is known about the shovelhead worms of this region, with only three species currently described, all from South Africa. Therefore I visited the lab at UMB to work with the team back in 2015 on MIWA material. The results from that trip were very exciting and approximately 20 different species of shovelhead worms were found in the material, many of which were likely to be new to science. Whilst work on these specimens carried on back at National Museum Cardiff, it was felt that it would be beneficial to re-vist Bergen to carry on the colloborative work. So consequently UMB invited me back to work with them once more this January. So for the last two weeks I have been studying more material from the region in order to find specimens for DNA analysis. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) is found inside every cell of every living thing and is different in every individual. We can use DNA analysis to see the difference between very similar looking animals and thus we can see whether animals belong to the same or different species. We can then compare this information to what the species looks like (morphology). We have now selected 74 specimens which will be sent off for DNA sequencing and hopefully the results from that will come back shortly.In the mean time work will begin on drawing, describing and imagining all the shovelhead worms from Western Africa. It is likely that there will be many new species within these samples, so we will need to decide on names for all of them and these will then be published in scientific papers. Once published this information will be used for example, by people monitoring the health of the seabed within this region.To read more about the work on MIWA shovelhead worms click here
Sizing up Sawfish Jennifer Gallichan, 19 Ionawr 2017 One of the great things about being a museum curator is that I am always learning new things on the job. I have been a museum curator for 15 years. In this time, my job has been to care for the mollusca collections but I have also now taken on the role of overseeing the care of the vertebrate collections. This has meant a whole raft of new things to learn and deal with, the least of which being that the animals all have backbones!I was recently asked on behalf of the Sawfish Conservation Society (SCS) to investigate what sawfish rostra we have in our collections. So what is a sawfish? And what is a rostrum? Sawfish are incredible. They live in tropical and sub-tropical waters across the world. Also known as Carpenter sharks, they are in the same family as stingrays, electric rays and skates. Their characteristic feature is a long narrow nose extension called a rostrum which is lined with sharp teeth. These run down the length of the nose giving it the appearance of a saw. To make this nose extension all the weirder, it is covered with electro sensitive pores that allow the sawfish to detect the smallest of movements on the sea floor. Little is known about the wild feeding strategies of sawfish, but it seems they skim the surface of the muddy sea floor looking for fish and crustacea, the way we might swish around a metal detector. The rostrum can be also be used to slash and impale anything that might be passing!It is mostly due to this excellent nose that all sawfish species are listed as endangered or critically endangered. Seen as a curiosity, these sawfish rostra were prized by collectors. Overfishing and habitat destruction have had a devastating impact upon sawfish numbers, they have disappeared from at least 80-90% of the areas they once inhabited. They are now protected in a large number of countries making it illegal to harm them or trade in the removed saws.The SCS has come up with a plan to help us better understand these amazing animals. They are partnering with researchers and institutes from around the world, which in the UK includes the Deep Aquarium and The Shark Trust, to launch the ‘See a Saw’ Citizen Science Sawfish Project. Although the removal of saws has had a negative impact on their populations, researchers want to turn this negative into a positive. By using these saws to learn important information about them, they can then be used to conserve the remaining populations. They have the added bonus that the rostra are much easier to measure if the sawfish is not attached!So with this in mind, I met with Al Reeve and his volunteer Sharon Williams from the South East Wales Biodiversity Records Centre (SEWBRec). Al is an avid elasmobranch enthusiast and it is through him that the enquiry first reached me. We set about photographing, measuring and counting the teeth of a whole series of rostra from the collections. It was an amazing experience to handle these specimens and to learn so much from Al about this group of animals. In the future, we may also be taking tissue samples from these rostra to send on to researchers for analysis. I quote Jeff Whitty, Founder and co-administrator of SCS to explain why:"The data and tissue samples will be used in multiple international studies to further sawfish management and conservation. Sawfish have been suggested to be the most threatened shark or ray in the world and yet we know little about them, which makes conserving the remaining populations difficult. The morphometric data that you provided will help us improve our identification guides of sawfish and will provide us with a better understanding of the distributions of these species. The tissue samples from the rostra will be used by multiple genetic studies that are exploring the differences in the genetic diversity between historic and contemporary populations of various sawfish species. Information from these genetic studies will allow us to better understand if genetic diversity in current populations have declined or remained steady through the years and thus will inform managers if genetic health of a sawfish species or population is a topic of concern."It is an unbelievably rewarding experience to know that this work can in a small way contribute to the conservation of this most endangered and enigmatic animal. We are often asked why we hold collections in museums. What good can come out of preserving animals? Why would we want to keep such a negative reminder of the wildlife that we have slaughtered on mass in our past? And we can answer that some good can come out of it. To conserve, to learn, to educate, to enthuse, and to help us do things better in the future. It is a great job that I am privileged to hold.You can learn more about Sawfish by going on the Sawfish Conservation website. You can find out more about the Sawfish project and who else is involved here, or watch this video about measuring saws.
Voices from the Archive – Christmas at St Fagans in the early 1900s Elen Phillips, 19 Rhagfyr 2016 A few years ago, while researching the history of St Fagans Castle during the First World War, I came across a number of oral history interviews in the Sound Archive with former tenants of the Plymouth Estate. The recordings were made in the 1970s and 1980s with people who had, for the most part, lived all their lives in St Fagans village. Although very few of the recordings yielded information relevant to my research, they did provide a vivid insight into the workings of the estate during the first half of the twentieth century, when village life revolved around the Castle and its owners – the Earl and Countess of Plymouth. With Christmas almost upon us, I thought I'd use my last blogpost of 2016 to share some of the villagers' recollections of Christmas at St Fagans in the early 1900s. Nadolig llawen!Christmas beastAlexander ‘Bert’ Warden, born in Cirencester in 1910, moved with his family to St Fagans as a child. In an interview with the Museum in 1979, he remembered distributing meat to the villagers at Christmas:Penhefyd Farm was the home farm in those days. Of course, the Plymouth people kept cattle there and all the rest of it. At Christmas time, they’d have a beast and it would be slaughtered, cut up into various chunks and each family in the village was allowed so much – I think it was about 5lb for a man, and 3lb for his wife and so much for each child. Now that was delivered around for the villagers by workmen from the estate. I did it myself when I was a boy. That was one of the Christmas boxes from the Plymouth Estate. Also a couple of rabbits – each person had a couple of rabbits and a load of logs. [6020/1]Mary Ann Dodd, a housemaid for the Plymouth family at the turn of the century, remembered using the Christmas beast to make soup for the villagers. In the early 1960s, at the age of 96 and living at the Grange Home for the Blind in Hereford, she wrote an essay for the Museum about her 30 years working at St Fagans Castle: Every Christmas two animals were killed, and her Ladyship told Mrs Cousins to use the heads, legs and offal for soup. This was supervised by the Lady herself and was made in my biggest copper saucepan. It was so big I could almost stand in it. The Housekeeper put in the salt and seasoning, and my Lady was keen on plenty of parsley, and all five kitchen maids and myself prepared the vegetables. We cleaned celery, carrots and leeks. Once they knew that the soup was ready, the village folk came from breakfast time on with jugs and basins and all manner of things and they were all provided with meat and soup. [MS 1293]Children’s partyAnother festive tradition remembered with fondness was the children’s Christmas party. This was held in the Banqueting Hall – a large pavilion in the Castle grounds – before the end of the school term. Jessie Warden (née Mildon), who was born and brought-up in the village, described it as one of the 'perks' of living on the estate:We were always a jolly lot. Lord Plymouth, every year, gave every child in the whole of the school – there could be a 100, there could be 50 – a Christmas party in the Banqueting Hall. Everything from the jelly to the Christmas presents at five shillings per child was paid by Lord Plymouth. And that was wonderful. It was a real Christmas party paid for by Lord Plymouth. There was a huge Christmas tree with your presents on the tree. Lady Plymouth was usually there and would give to the boys and Lord Plymouth would give to the girls. And they’d have a man with a ladder to get your particular present off the tree. The tree would then go to the Cardiff Royal Infirmary. [6020/1]Mari LwydJessie Warden also recalled her childhood fear of the Mari Lwyd – a seasonal custom practiced without the patronage of the Plymouth Estate:They had a Mari Lwyd every year. The Mari Lwyd used to come and that was a chap from Pentyrch, and there was one from Ely. There was one from the village, but then when he finished, his relatives in Ely came out in my day. When I was about ten. I can remember the Mari Lwyd. We were always petrified! The responses etc. were always in Welsh. [6020/1]In 1933 the Museum acquired a Mari Lwyd for the collection from Thomas Davies of Pentyrch who would perform for one week either side of Christmas. At the time, the curator noted that he had been travelling with the Mari for 35 years and had connections with St Fagans. He probably visited the young Jessie Mildon and her family.
Bant â’i ben e! Hanes Darnau Arian y Werinlywodraeth Rhianydd Biebrach, 16 Rhagfyr 2016 Portread o’r Brenin Siarl I Ar fore rhewllyd 30 Ionawr 1649, yn dilyn rhyfel cartref hir a gwaedlyd rhwng y Goron a’r Senedd, cafodd Brenin Siarl I ei ddienyddio yn Llundain a chafodd y frenhiniaeth ei dileu. Dair blynedd yn gynharach, ym 1646, roedd y Senedd wedi cael gwared ar esgobion Eglwys Lloegr, a phan gafodd Tŷ’r Arglwyddi ei ddileu hefyd ym mis Mawrth 1649, roedd hi’n ymddangos bod cyfundrefn lywodraeth canrifoedd oed Prydain wedi diflannu am byth. Does ryfedd fod pobl ar y pryd yn dweud bod y byd wedi’i droi ar ben i waered. Yn y pen draw, cwta un mlynedd ar ddeg y parodd cyfnod y Werinlywodraeth ansicr hon a chafodd y frenhiniaeth ei hadfer ym 1660. Ond, o bryd i’w gilydd, mae’r darnau arian unigryw a gafodd eu bathu yn ystod y cyfnod byr hwn yn dod i’r fei yng Nghymru wrth iddynt gael eu darganfod gan ddatgelyddion metel a’u nodi drwy’r Cynllun Henebion Cludadwy . Maen nhw wedi cael eu darganfod mewn niferoedd bach ledled Cymru, o Faenorbŷr yn Sir Benfro i Cwm yn Sir y Fflint, ac mae eu cyflwr wedi amrywio, yn cynnwys un neu ddau a oedd wedi cael eu hailddefnyddio at ddibenion eraill maes o law. Felly beth sy’n eu gwneud nhw mor arbennig? Darnau arian ar gyfer y Werinlywodraeth Nid yw’n syndod bod y dull cwbl newydd o lywodraethu a gyflwynwyd mewn ffordd mor waedlyd ar ôl dileu’r frenhiniaeth ym 1649 wedi esgor ar newid enfawr yn un o agweddau pwysicaf hunaniaeth y genedl - yr arian. Cyn hyn, roedd pob darn arian yn cael ei gyhoeddi yn enw’r brenin neu frenhines ac yn dangos delwedd ohono neu ohoni. Hyd yn oed yn ystod y Rhyfel Cartref (1642-48), roedd y Senedd – a oedd â Llundain, ac felly Bathdy’r Tŵr, o dan ei rheolaeth – wedi parhau i guro darnau arian yn y dull traddodiadol tra bod canlyniad y rhyfel yn ansicr. Ond â Phrydain bellach yn weriniaeth, roedd hi’n amlwg nad oedd diwyg canrifoedd oed darnau arian, gyda phen y brenin neu frenhines ac ysgrifen Lladin, yn briodol mwyach. Roedd angen diwyg newydd a fyddai’n pwysleisio dilysrwydd y drefn weriniaethol. Pam maen nhw’n edrych yn wahanol? Hanner grôt (dwy geiniog) y Werinlywodraeth a gafodd ei ganfod gan R. W. Bevans ym Maenorbŷr, Sir Benfro, 2009. Nid oedd llythrennau na dyddiad ar y darnau isaf eu gwerth. Does dim angen i chi fod yn arbenigwr darnau arian i weld y gwahaniaeth amlwg rhwng y darnau newydd a’r rhai sy’n fwy cyfarwydd i ni i gyd – does dim pen brenin! Wrth reswm, ar ôl torri pen y brenin go iawn i ffwrdd, felly hefyd roedd rhaid tynnu’r ddelwedd ohono oddi ar y darnau arian. Gyda’r brenin wedi mynd, honnodd Tŷ’r Cyffredin mai nhw oedd yn arfer pŵer sofran ar ran y bobl, a bod Duw wedi rhoi sêl ei fendith i’r drefn newydd drwy alluogi’r Senedd i drechu’r brenin mewn brwydr. Cafodd yr honiad eofn hwn ei ategu gan y delweddau a’r llythrennau a ddefnyddiwyd ar y darnau arian newydd. Ar du blaen y darn arian (pen), yn lle’r ddelwedd draddodiadol o ben y brenin/brenhines yn gwisgo coron, roedd tarian â chroes San Siôr arni, yn cynrychioli Lloegr. O’i hamgylch roedd torch o lawryf a phalmwydd, symbol o fuddugoliaeth y Senedd a’r heddwch honedig a ddeuai yn sgil hynny. Ar y tu chwith (cynffon), roedd tariannau Lloegr ac Iwerddon yn unedig, gydag Iwerddon yn cael ei chynrychioli gan delyn Wyddelig, ynghyd â’r dyddiad cyhoeddi a gwerth y darn. Nid oedd yr Alban, a oedd yn wlad annibynnol ar y pryd ac â’i darnau arian ei hun, yn cael ei chynrychioli, nac ychwaith Cymru, a oedd yn cael ei hystyried yn rhan o deyrnas Lloegr ac felly’n cael ei chynrychioli gan groes San Siôr – mae hyn yn wir ar Jac yr Undeb hyd heddiw. Gwnaed newidiadau hefyd i’r llythrennau a oedd yn ymddangos o amgylch ymyl y darnau arian. Yn draddodiadol, byddai’r rhain wedi bod yn Lladin, gan roi enw’r brenin neu frenhines a rhestr gryno o’i deitlau neu ei theitlau (yn cynnwys hawl i Ffrainc!) yn ogystal ag arwyddair Lladin. Ond cafodd hyn ei ddisodli gan ‘THE COMMONWEALTH OF ENGLAND’ ar yr ochr flaen a ‘GOD WITH US’ ar yr ochr arall. Nid yn unig roedd y datganiadau syml hyn yn cael gwared ar bob cyfeiriad at bŵer brenhinol, ond roeddent hefyd yn disodli Lladin â’i gysylltiadau Catholig gyda Saesneg Protestannaidd da, ac yn honni hawl i nawdd a chefnogaeth Duw yng ngwir arddull y Piwritaniaid. Ymateb y Brenhinwyr Torlun pren o’r ail ganrif ar bymtheg yn dangos dau ddyn mewn tafarn, yn gwisgo clos pen-glin a oedd yn debyg i’r ddwy darian unedig ar ddarnau arian y Werinlywodraeth. (Ffynhonnell: ) Er i Siarl gael ei drechu a’r frenhiniaeth ei dileu, roedd llawer o bobl wedi gwrthwynebu ei ddienyddio ac yn beirniadu’n hallt y drefn weriniaethol newydd a gafodd ei harwain gan Senedd y Gweddill hyd nes 1653. Roedd hyd yn oed y darnau arian yn destun gwawd, gyda brenhinwyr yn canfod ffyrdd o dynnu blew o drwyn y llywodraeth drwy wneud sbort am ben y dyluniadau newydd. Er enghraifft, yn ôl brenhinwyr, roedd y geiriau ar naill ochr y darnau yn awgrymu bod ‘Duw’ a’r ‘Werinlywodraeth’ yn groes i’w gilydd. Roedd tariannau Lloegr ac Iwerddon yn ymddangos yn unedig yn destun cryn ddifyrrwch hefyd am eu bod yn edrych fel clos pen-glin, ac roeddent yn cael eu hadnabod yng nghylchoedd y brenhinwyr fel ‘breeches for the rump’, gyda ‘rump’ nid yn unig yn cyfeirio at enw’r senedd (Rump Parliament yw’r enw Saesneg ar Senedd y Gweddill) ond hefyd yn air cyffredin am y pen-ôl. Yn ddiddorol ddigon, ym 1658 fe wnaeth y llywodraeth ymgais i ddychwelyd at ddyluniad mwy cyfarwydd o’r cyfnod brenhinol. Roedd yn cynnwys proffil pennaeth newydd y wladwriaeth, yr Amddiffynnydd Oliver Cromwell, yn gwisgo coron lawryf ar yr ochr flaen, ac arfbais gyda – credwch neu beidio – coron ar ei ben ar y tu chwith. Roedd Cromwell wedi cael cynnig y goron ond roedd wedi ei gwrthod, felly a oedd ei chynnwys yn y dyluniad newydd yn ymgais gan y llywodraeth simsan i gyfleu delwedd o sefydlogrwydd gan ddefnyddio symbolau mwy cyfarwydd yr oes a fu? Bu farw Cromwell yn fuan wedi hyn ac ni chafodd y darnau arian eu cyhoeddi byth, felly nid yw pobl yn debygol o ddod o hyd iddynt gyda’u datgelyddion metel. Yr Adferiad a thu hwnt Hanner grôt y Werinlywodraeth wedi treulio a gafodd ei ailddefnyddio fel arwydd o gariad, a ganfuwyd gan Gwyn Rees ger Gwenfô, De Morgannwg, yn 2012. Hanner grôt y Werinlywodraeth a ganfuwyd gan Gwyn Rees ger Gwenfô yn 2015. Mae’n bosibl bod y twll wedi’i wneud i sicrhau na ellid ei ddefnyddio. Methiant fu arbrawf y gweriniaethwyr yn y pen draw a chafodd y frenhiniaeth ei hadfer o dan deyrnasiad Siarl II ym 1660. Cafodd y rhai a lofnododd warant ddienyddio ei dad, y teyrnleiddiaid, eu crynhoi a’u dienyddio; cafodd corff Oliver Cromwell ei ddatgladdu a’i grogi mewn cadwynau hyd yn oed. Cafodd darnau arian y Werinlywodraeth eu trin yr un mor ddidrugaredd. Rhoddwyd y gorau i’w defnyddio a chawsant eu casglu er mwyn eu hailfathu rhwng 1661 a 1663. Amcangyfrifir bod dau o bob tri o’r darnau arian a fathwyd ers 1649 wedi cael eu casglu. Ond beth ddigwyddodd i’r gweddill? Bydd y rhan fwyaf wedi cael eu cymryd dramor a bydd rhywfaint wedi cael eu celcio, ond mae’r darnau sydd wedi cael eu canfod gan ddatgelyddion metel yng Nghymru, pob un ohonynt yn geiniog neu’n hanner grôt, sef y darnau gwerth isaf, yn awgrymu bod rhai wedi cael eu colli’n ddamweiniol. Mae’r ôl traul ar y rhan fwyaf o’r darnau sydd wedi’u darganfod yn deillio o’r defnydd ohonynt neu ddifrod tra’u bod yn y ddaear, ond mae’n ymddangos bod un darn a gafodd ei ganfod gan Gwyn Rees ger Gwenfô yn Ne Morgannwg, yn 2012, wedi cael ei blygu a thwll wedi’i wneud yn y rhan uchaf ohono, er mwyn ei ddefnyddio fel arwydd o gariad a’i grogi o gadwyn neu ruban o bosibl. A gafodd y darn hwn ei golli’n ddamweiniol, neu ai tystiolaeth o dor-perthynas ydyw? Mae gan ddarn hanner grôt arall y Werinlywodraeth, a gafodd ei ganfod ger Gwenfô hefyd gan Mr Rees yn 2015, dwll yn ei ganol – mae’n siŵr mai diben hynny oedd ei ddirymu a sicrhau na ellid ei ddefnyddio ar ddechrau’r 1660au. Mae’n bosibl na wnaeth llywodraeth yr Adferiad adalw’r darnau gwerth isaf, felly hwyrach eu bod nhw wedi parhau i gael eu defnyddio y tu hwnt i’r 1660au cynnar. Arwyddocâd hanesyddol Hanner coron Gwerinlywodraeth Lloegr (2s 6d), Er nad ydynt yn ennyn llawer o ddiddordeb ymhlith casglwyr oherwydd y dyluniad plaen a’r ffaith fod y darnau o werthoedd gwahanol yn edrych yr un fath, mae darnau arian y Werinlywodraeth yn ddifyr o safbwynt hanesyddol ac archaeolegol. A hwythau wedi cael eu defnyddio am gyn lleied o amser, maen nhw wedi goroesi cyfnod cythryblus yn hanes Prydain, gyda rhyfel gwaedlyd a chynhennus yn cael ei ddilyn yn gyntaf gan ddienyddiad brawychus y brenin ac yna gan flynyddoedd o newid gwleidyddol a chrefyddol wrth i’r wlad geisio canfod trefn dderbyniol i gymryd lle teyrnasiad brenhinol. Wrth i’r cyfundrefnau gwleidyddol fethu bob yn un, byrhoedlog hefyd oedd diwyg newydd y darnau arian – gyda Siarl II yn dychwelyd at y diwyg canrifoedd oed cyfarwydd yn dangos pen y brenin/brenhines, a dyna sydd wedi para hyd heddiw. Mae’r newidiadau enfawr yn y dyluniad yn dangos sut wnaeth y llywodraeth weriniaethol newydd geisio gwella clwyfau’r Rhyfeloedd Cartref a rhoi hwb i’w dilysrwydd yn absenoldeb y brenin. Ydy hi’n well eu gweld fel arwydd o fywyd yn dilyn yr un drefn fwy neu lai ag arfer, neu fel symbol o fyd a’i ben i waered? Hanner coron patrwm Oliver Cromwell, 1658
