A middle Iron Age shield found during an excavation of Everards Brewery’s Everards Meadows site has gone on display in the British Museum.
Members of the Everards family and team, sculptor John Sydney Carter, and representatives from The British Museum and The University of Leicester in front of the glass case containing the shield
The shield was discovered by University of Leicester Archaeological Services team members when they were excavating the site in 2015.
That find was the remains of a bark object that had been deeply buried in the waterlogged fills of a substantial Iron Age pit. The object was soon identified as a bark shield dating from the middle Iron Age.
The unique Enderby Shield was crafted from bark between 400BC and 190BC. The Everard family chose to donate this important artifact to the extensive Iron Age collection at The British Museum for all to enjoy.
Dr Julia Farley, curator of British and European Iron Age collections at the British Museum, said: “This is an absolutely phenomenal object, one of the most marvellous, internationally important finds that I’ve encountered in my career.
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“So often it is gold which grabs the headlines, but this bark shield is much rarer. It holds a rich store of information about Iron Age society and craft practices. We are grateful to Everards and the University of Leicester for donating such a significant object to the British Museum.”
Julian Everard, the sixth generation chairman of Everards, said: “We are delighted to see the Enderby Shield on display and can see how much hard work has gone into conserving it so it can be enjoyed by generations to come.
“We are proud that so many visitors will see it on display and we celebrate it at our Everards Meadows home with our special sculpture created by local sculptor John Sydney Carter.
“Thank you to the University of Leicester Archaeological Services and the British Museum for all their efforts in recovering and restoring the shield.”
