Press Releases

Death in Wales: 4000–3000 BC

8 June – 24 September 2006
National Museum Cardiff

Tinkinswood, Bryn yr Hen Bobl, Bryn Celli Ddu ‘The Hill of Black Grove' and Pipton - four burial tombs featured in National Museum Cardiff's latest exhibition, ‘Death in Wales: 4000-3000 BC', showing from 8 June – 24 September.

The exhibition presents a revolution witnessed by Wales over 6000 years ago when massive stones were arranged as houses for the dead, and human bones became tools for the living. It was a way of death quite alien from our own.

There are over one hundred Stone Age tombs in Wales – massive stone chambers, homes for the dead. Tomb builders coped with death differently from us. Some of their burial rites might seem strange and unnatural, but it is certain that they felt love and grief as deeply as we do.

How were so many corpses squeezed into such a small space? Was everyone buried at the same time? These are just some of the questions tackled in the exhibition..

Exhibition Curator, Dr Steve Burrow, says:

"Stone Age people treated their dead in ways very different to us. The exhibition shows these differences. It's as much about letting people reflect on how we treat our own dead as it is about studying the past.

"Most of the exhibits are human bone, but we've also made room for some other Stone Age artefacts, including new evidence we've discovered - a previously unknown link between Wales and Stonehenge."

This is without a doubt one of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales's most sensitive exhibitions for some time, but it certainly promises to deal with what is a sensitive subject matter to all of us in the most dignified of ways.

Also accompanying the exhibition is one of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales's most recent publications. ‘The tomb builders in Wales 4000-3000 BC' focuses on Welsh tombs, a particular rich source of information. A book launch will be held at the National Museum Cardiff on Wednesday 21 June.

Galleries at National Museum Cardiff are currently being redeveloped and renovated. Some galleries will be shut to the public temporarily while building work is taking place. The museum remains open to the public throughout the refurbishment, with a diverse public programme of exhibitions, displays and events during 2006 and throughout our Centenary in 2007. For more details on our centenary, go to our 07 pages on the website – www.museumwales.ac.uk. For day to day enquiries regarding the galleries, please ring 029 2039 7951. The refurbishment programme is supported with additional funding by the Welsh Assembly Government National Museum Cardiff is one of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales' seven national museums. The others are St Fagans: National History Museum, National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon, Big Pit: National Coal Museum, Blaenafon, National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre, National Slate Museum, Llanberis and the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

Entry to all national museums is free thanks to the support of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Notes to Editors

For more details contact Sian James, Corporate Communications Officer, National Museum Wales
Phone: 029 2057 3185
Email Sian James