: Addysg

As palaeontology curators, we have the privilege of working with the Museum’s vast fossil collections.  From trilobites to tree ferns, ammonites to mammoths, corals to dinosaurs, they are individually fascinating and beautiful.  Collectively, they are the evidence that allows us to chronicle life on Earth going back over 500 million years.  When faced with such prehistoric riches on a daily basis, it is easy to take fossils for granted.  In reality, each and every fossil in the Museum is one of the lucky ones.  Most of the countless animals and plants that have ever lived on this planet did not become fossils.  Many things can happen to prevent something becoming a fossil – it can be eaten, torn apart by scavengers, rotted away or cooked by the Earth’s hot core.  Fossilization is a rare event, which requires the chance coming together of a series of circumstances and conditions.  When you realise this, you cannot look at a fossil without feeling wonder and awe that it exists at all.

In the Palaeontology section of the Natural Sciences Department we decided to develop an activity which would allow people to explore how and when fossilization happens.  With the support of a Geological Society grant, we produced a board game called ‘Fossilization Frenzy’, which we launched at our ‘Biology and Geology Rock!’ event, held to celebrate Earth Science Week and National Biology Week in October 2016.  The game invites people to choose one of four animals that lived in the Jurassic seas, around 200 million years ago, and the aim is to see if their animal can become fossilized and end up on display in the Museum. 

Given the unlikelihood of fossilization, there are many trials and tribulations along the way, and the chances of winning are not as high as with most board games.  There were also valuable lessons to be learnt in choosing your animal wisely – if you choose the insubstantial jellyfish, then the odds are going to be stacked against you.  We found that the game generated a healthy level of competition between classmates and family members of all ages, and many participants played several times until they succeeded in making it into that coveted fossil display case. 

Following the enthusiastic response to the game from family groups at the ‘Biology and Geology Rock!’ event, we delivered it to school groups at the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival in May 2017, as part of the Palaeontological Association’s outreach programme.  We were pleasantly surprised to find that ‘Fossilization Frenzy!’ was as well received by teenagers on Secondary Schools Day as it was by younger children on Primary Schools Day.  There were many more enthusiastic players across the weekend when the festival was open to the public, including several adults unaccompanied by children.  Clearly the desire to become immortalised in stone crosses age and generational boundaries!  The game has since been successfully delivered to primary school groups and general public at the Yorkshire Fossil Festival in Scarborough (September 2017).  It was also trialled by our Learning team at the Association of Science Educators Conference, and the Welsh language version was used as part of our outreach work on the Jurassic Earth Timescale Project in North Wales (October 2017).

After receiving several requests for the board game from teachers we have now available for download as a pdf file.  The game is available in Welsh language, English language and bilingual versions.  Follow this link to find out more about the learning aims of the game and to access the downloadable pdfs.

Lucy McCobb, Caroline Buttler, Trevor Bailey and Cindy Howells

Bydd Amgueddfa Cymru yn dyfarnu tystysgrifau Gwyddonwyr Gwych i ysgolion o ar draws y DU, i gydnabod eu cyfraniad i'r Ymchwiliad Bylbiau’r Gwanwyn i Ysgolion.

Llongyfarchiadau anferth i bob un o’r ysgolion!

Diolch i bob un o’r 4,830 disgybl a helpodd eleni! Diolch am weithio mor galed yn plannu, arsylwi a chofnodi, rydych yn wir yn Wyddonwyr Gwych! Bydd pob un ohonoch yn derbyn tystysgrif a phensel Gwyddonydd Gwych.

Diolch yn fawr i Ymddiriedolaeth Edina am eu nawdd ac am helpu i wireddu’r prosiect.

Ysgolion fydd yn derbyn tystysgrifau:

Bydd pob un yn derbyn tystysgrifau a phensiliau Gwyddonwyr Gwych.

Cydnabyddiaeth arbennig:

I dderbyn tystysgrifau, pensiliau a hadau.

Clod uchel:

I dderbyn tystysgrifau, pensiliau ac amrywiaeth o hadau.

Yn ail:

I dderbyn tystysgrifau, pensiliau, amrywiaeth hadau a taleb rhodd.

Enillwyr 2018:

I dderbyn tystysgrifau, pensiliau, hadau a gwobr i'r dosbarth!

Hello everyone, my name’s Eirini and I am a student intern in the Archaeology and Numismatics department at NMW, Cardiff. This post is the second in my series of blogs on the numismatics collection at the Museum. Last time I took a look at the collection of Ancient Greek coins and this week I am back to examine the Roman coin collection.

While the Ancient Greeks never set foot in Wales, the Romans invaded in AD 48 so there have been a great deal of Roman coins found and reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme. Here are a few of my favourites from the collections.

Hoard of silver denarii found in Wick, Vale of Glamorgan (c. AD 165)

The 2 oldest coins date back to the Republic and are both coins of Mark Anthony while the rest date to the Empire. The front side of all of the Empire coins have portraits of an emperor, ranging from Nero (AD 54-68) to Marcus Aurelius (AD 161-180).

The most interesting aspect of this coin hoard is the variety of reverse designs on them! There are many coins dating to the reigns of Vespasian (AD 69-79) and Trajan (AD 98-117). These coins predominately feature deities and personifications on their reverse sides. Some examples of the deities featured include Jupiter, Hercules and Mars. One design that sticks out to me is the personification of peace (Pax) holding an olive branch, sceptre and cornucopia (a horn that symbolises abundance). Other personifications include Pietas (duty) and Felicitas (good fortune).

There is an extensive variety of other reverse types on the coins including representations of the emperor and his family, types of military conquest and victories, legionary types, geographical imagery, architecture, animals and propaganda.

I like how varied the imagery is on these Roman coins as later coins found in Sully (c. AD 320), Bridgend (c. AD 310) and Llanbethery (c. AD 350) as well as our modern coins tend to have the same, repeated imagery on their reverse.

Sully Hoard of copper-alloy coins (c. AD 320)

This hoard is one of the largest hoards of Roman coins found in Wales. An incredible 5913 coins were discovered in two locations, 3 metres apart in the South Wales coastal village of Sully.

The latest coins from this collection all have the same reverse design regardless of where they were minted, from London to Rome –they represent an early single currency with a standardised design not found in the earlier hoards.

However, the designs on these coins are more crude and less detailed than the earlier Roman finds.

Helo Cyfeillion y Gwanwyn,

Diolch i’r ysgolion sef wedi rhannu ei chofnodion blodau! Cofiwch i wneud yn siŵr bod y dyddiad yn gywir a bod taldra'r planhigyn wedi ei chofnodi yn filimedrau. Rydym wedi cael cofnodion yn dweud bod planhigion wedi blodeuo ym mis Ebrill a hefo disgrifiadau am grocws a chennin pedr anhygoel o fyr!

Os ydych yn gweld bod eich cofnodion angen ei chywiro, yna yrrwch rhai newydd i mewn hefo esboniad o hyn yn y bwlch sylwadau.

Rwyf wedi mwynhau darllen y sylwadau hefo’r cofnodion tywydd a blodau dros y pythefnos diwethaf. Rwyf wedi atodi rhai o’r sylwadau isod. Daeth cwestiwn diddorol o Ysgol Stanford in the Vale flwyddyn ddiwethaf, yn gofyn a oedd rhaid cofnodi pob blodyn i’r wefan os oedd y dyddiad a’r taldra'r un peth? Mae’n bwysig i rannu’r cofnodion i gyd, oherwydd mae'r nifer o blanhigion sydd yn blodeuo ar ddyddiad unigol a’r taldra'r planhigion yn effeithio'r canlyniadau.

I weithio allan taldra cymedrig eich ysgol ar gyfer y crocws a’r cennin pedr, adiwch bob taldra o’r crocws neu’r cennin peder, a rhannwch hefo'r nifer o gofnodion. Felly os oes genych deg cofnodion o daldra i’r crocws, adiwch y rhain at ei gilydd a rhannwch hefo deg i gael y rhif cymedrig.

Os oes gennych un blodyn hefo taldra o 200mm ac un blodyn hefo taldra o 350mm, fydd y rhif cymedrig yn 275mm. Ond, os oes gennych un blodyn hefo taldra o 200mm a deg hefo taldra o 350mm fydd y rhif cymedrig yn 336mm. Dyma pam mae’n bwysig i gofnodi pob cofnod blodau.

Mae pob cofnod blodau yn bwysig ac yn cael effaith ar y canlyniadau. Os nad yw eich planhigyn wedi tyfu erbyn diwedd mis Mawrth, plîs wnewch gofnod data heb ddyddiad na thaldra ac esboniwch pam yn y bwlch sylwadau. Os mae eich planhigyn yn tyfu, ond ddim yn blodeuo erbyn diwedd mis Mawrth, yna plîs cofnodwch daldra'r planhigyn, heb ddyddiad blodeuo, ac esboniwch hyn yn y bwlch sylwadau.

Cadwch y cwestiynau yn dod Cyfeillion y Gwanwyn! Mae 'na nifer o adnoddau ar y wefan i helpu hefo’r prosiect. Unwaith mae eich planhigyn wedi blodeuo, fedrwch greu llun ohono a defnyddio hyn i labelu'r rhannau o’r planhigyn! Hoffwn weld ffotograff o rain, a wnâi rhannu pob un sy’n cael ei yrru ata i ar fy blog nesaf!

Daliwch ati gyda’r gwaith called Cyfeillion y Gwanwyn,

Athro’r Ardd

Hi, Eirini here – I am a student intern in the Archaeology and Numismatics department at NMW, Cardiff. I’ve been taking a look at the museum’s extensive coin collection and will be creating a series of blogs on each of them.

Today I am looking at ancient coins from my home country of Greece. The collection of Greek coinage dates back to over 2000 years ago, but the designs are in great condition. They are all made of silver or gold and we can see the development of currency through them – beginning with rough coins that look like ingots to detailed chunky coins featuring Emperors faces, some from Macedonia and Byzantium as well as famous leaders like Alexander the Great.

I’ve picked my two favourite coins from the collection:

Alexander the Great, Macedonian Drachma

4 Drachum from Pella, Macedonia (dating to 315BC) features Alexander wearing a lion skin, the symbol of Greek hero Hercules, on the front with Alexander’s name inscribed on the back next to an image of Zeus. This design was mimicked by Emperors following Alexander’s death.

I like that this coin is in such good condition. We can see the details of Alexander’s face – it’s impressive considering the tools they had! You can read the inscription clearly despite how old it is.

Byzantine Empress Theodora, Constantinople Nomisma

 A gold tetarteron dating from the reign of Theodora (AD 1055-1056) featuring a portrait of Theodora holding a sceptre and orb, on the other side is a depiction of Jesus Christ. The same iconography of Jesus was used on other Byzantine emperors’ coins, but with their own portraits in place of Theodora’s.

I like how this coin is also in great condition, however, the artwork is much simpler on Byzantine coins with less intricate detailing.

Next week, I will be looking at some Roman coins - a common metal detectorist find in Wales. Greek coins, unfortunately, aren't found in Wales as Greece never invaded the British Isles! Remember to always report any findings to the Portable Antiquities Scheme to allow us to keep learning from the past.