New Natural History Galleries Peter Howlett, 22 June 2011 At long last all the natural history galleries are now open again at National Museum Cardiff. You can see old favourites such as the Humpback Whale and the world's largest recorded Leatherback Turtle but there is also something new.We have created a new gallery which is an introduction to marine biodiversity - or life in the sea. The gallery has over 100 new marine specimens on display with a focus on marine invertebrates rather than fish and you will also find specimens of seaweeds, an often neglected group when it comes to museum displays.Nearly all the specimens have been displayed in indvidual cases which allows you to get up close and marvel at the intricate design of some of these beasts (and algae!). We have reserved the 3 large cases to display heavy or fragile specimens. Two have displays of some of our fantastic Blaschka glass models. The detail in these models has to be seen to be believed and all the more amazing is they were made over 100 years ago.So if you are in Cardiff and have an hour free why not pop in and have a look at the new galleries.
Daffodil Drawing Competition 2011 Danielle Cowell, 17 June 2011 Pupils were asked to draw and label their daffodils. We received many fantastic drawings! Professor Plant awarded Bishops Childs CIW School& Ysgol Nant Y Coed with sets of easy to construct birdhouses.
Witch-bottles and healing charms 16 June 2011 Bitten by a mad dog or cursed by a witch? Ever wondered what you should do if you were bitten by a mad dog or cursed by a witch? In Wales it was a common practice, as late as the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in some parts, for people to use various kinds of charms for healing or protection against witchcraft. These could be in the form of prayer-like words, which were recited or written on a piece of paper to be safely hidden, while objects such as shoes or stones were also believed to cure illnesses and bring good luck. Snakestones Adder stones from Pen-tyrch, Glamorgan The most renowned stone charms in Wales are the Maen Magl or Glain Nadredd — snakestones. In 1695 Edward Lhuyd described these as Cerrig y Drudion — Druid stones. The belief was that they were created when snakes joined their heads together, forming a kind of bubble about the head of one snake. This 'bubble' is similar to a glass ring like the one found at Twyn-y-tila, Caerleon, and was thought to bring good luck to whoever found it. It was also believed to be a remedy for eye diseases and was often in great demand. The term Maen signifies a stone and Magl is an ancient word for an eye ailment such as a stye. The water in which the stone had been soaked could be dabbed on the affected area, but the most common form of treatment involved rolling or rubbing the stone over the eyelid. People used to use the expression 'fel y glaim', literally 'like the stone', to mean very healthy. A cure for rabies Hydrophobia stone from Henllan, Ceredigion The Llaethfaen or hydrophobia stone, thought to cure rabies, is a variant of the Maen Magl. In his Folk-Lore of West and Mid Wales, Jonathan Ceredig Davies wrote about a llaethfaen that was 'very much in request' because it was widely believed to cure those bitten by a mad dog, a common problem in the nineteenth century. Whether it had curative or preventative powers, those who used the stone were said to be safe from hydrophobia. Iolo Morgannwg described seeing a stone like this in Pembrokeshire in 1802, when he met a man who carried one around the country. He would scrape it into a powder which could be dissolved into a drink, and sell it for five shillings an ounce as a remedy for rabies. Witch-bottles and pots Now a witch bottle is a totally different kind of charm. Take this eighteenth- century Buckley pot, or witch-bottle, found buried at the foot of an old yew tree at Allt-y-Rhiw farmhouse near Llansilin, Powys. What is interesting about the jug is that a quarter if it was filled with lead. This suggests that it was used as some form of protection or, indeed, as a means of sealing or capturing a troublesome spirit, similar to the concealed shoes in our collection. Often with witchcraft beliefs the act of sealing an object within a bottle or pot symbolised the entrapment of the evil spirit, and so was used as a protective charm. There are many tales of troublesome ghosts being 'put down' in this way, like the ghost of 'Lady Jeffreys' who was persuaded to enter a bottle which was corked and sealed and thrown into the pool underneath the Short Bridge in Llanidloes. Conjurers or dynion hysbys When any bad luck occurred a conjurer was consulted to discover who had done the "witching", one such conjurer was Evan Griffiths from Pantybenni. People who had been bewitched could also carry out their own counter-magic rituals by placing sharp objects like thorns and pins inside a bottle, which was usually filled with the victim's urine. It was then sealed and boiled over the fire or buried under the hearthstone. This was believed to torment the witch into revealing her identity, thereby breaking the spell. The bottle symbolised the witch's bladder, and so the sharp objects were believed to cause her much pain. Alternatively, you could buy a charm from a dyn hysbys — wise man. These figures were very common in Wales at one time, and their services ranged from countering witchcraft, healing, and astrology, to fortune telling and uncovering lost property. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Llangurig was especially famous for its dynion hysbys. Charms against witchcraft were written on a piece of paper which was carefully rolled up and sealed inside a bottle. This was then placed under the hearth or hidden in one of the main beams in the house, thus ensuring protection from witchcraft and any other evildoer. Should you find one of these charms, as with the concealed garments, remember to take photographs and record the details of exactly where you found it, and contact your local museum. Whatever you do, mind, always remember to keep the bottle sealed!
Discovered in Time, at Hay Mari Gordon, 9 June 2011 Finally, only a year or so later, we launch fab new archaeology book Discovered in Time. We had a lovely event on the Hay Festival programme - pretty small in scale, but all the more enjoyable for it.I knew the author, Mark Redknap, was a bit nervous and I felt suitably guilty. But I also knew he'd be great. He's articulate, knowledgeable, engaging and can throw in a soupcon of humour - ideal speaker material.We'd pitched the event as a discussion on issues like who are we (museums) to decide what's 'treasure', or are we the natural authors of the national 'story', or de we hand over the 'voice' to communities (yes we do), and how do we relate to amateur archaeologists - all stuff I think is fascinating. Mark talked about those issues and illustrated them with some gems of stories related to various objects featured in the book. However the audience were also clearly drawn by the archaeology, and wanted some good old-fashioned archaeologists 'in the field' stories.BBC journalist Sian Lloyd was our host for the event and she brought a fresh face and a sound journalistic approach, keeping the whole event expertly on track. The Q&A at the end included questions ranging from 'what was your Howard Carter moment?', which Mark gently explained can happen many times either with discovering a new find or with a new discovery about an old find, as we keep studying the collections and applying new technology, to the role of science in archaeology - see point about new technology. (And, is archaeology itself a science? Hmmm...).I was really pleased that the audience comprised a healthy mixture of men and women, and all ages. What they had in common was that enduring fascination, which perhaps we all have, with the light objects that survive from antiquity can shed on our shared human past. And that, I hope, is just what our new book conveys.Discovered in Time is available now. Available in Welsh, Darganfod y Gymru Gynnar. Both just £14.99. Order online.
Fossils in stone: acid preparation of fossils Christian Baars, 7 June 2011 A limestone rock, from Southerndown in south Wales, containing fossil shells. (Gryphaea arcuata — Devil's toenails). Fossil shells (Gryphaea arcuata – Devil's toenails) after the rock has been dissolved in acid. A fossil bivalve shell that has been partially prepared using acid. The two parts of the shell (the valves) are still attached to each other, and the bottom valve is still attached to the rock. We rarely find fossils in perfect condition. When we collect them, most of them are partially or almost completely concealed in rock. To study them in detail, or to prepare them to be displayed, we must carefully remove the rock. It's not easy to remove the rock from the fossils, which are sometimes extremely delicate. It can be a long and painstaking process. Sometimes we use hand tools, like pins, scrapers or little chisels. We can also use specialist tools, like pneumatic pens similar to engraving devices. A third option is to use an air-abrasive machine that is little like a miniature sandblaster. An alternative is to dissolve the rock in acid. Most fossil shells were composed originally of calcium carbonate, and many are preserved in limestone , which is the same chemical make-up. In some circumstances, however, the calcium carbonate of the shells dissolves away and is replaced by silica, but the enclosing limestone remains unchanged. Because limestone dissolves readily in acid, but silica doesn't, we can extract these specimens with chemicals. Vinegar, no salt please The acid we commonly use is acetic acid — the same acid that is in vinegar. We use highly concentrated acetic acid, 80%, but dilute it with water to about 5%. We immerse the rock sample containing fossils in the diluted acetic acid, which almost immediately starts to fizz as it reacts with the limestone. The rock can take anything from a few days to many months to dissolve completely, depending on its specific composition. The reaction with the rock gradually neutralizes the acid, which needs to be refreshed from time to time. At the end of the process all that remains is some slushy rock residue, and the silicified fossils. Many silicified fossils are very delicate; they have to be handled with extreme care, and we often need to strengthen them with adhesives. The fossils are now ready for research or for displaying. Many are exquisitely preserved: 450-million-year-old silicified shells sometimes look as if they have just been picked up from a modern beach!
