The summer temporary exhibition at Waterford Treasures – Bronze into Gold has a lot going for it. Not just indifferent weather but a wealth of local and international i9nformation. The pillars are wrapped in golden foil to add charm and a subtitle – Bronze Age in the Sunny South East, gives it oomph and style.
You mix tin with copper and you get bronze and this compound was discovered in 2500BC with the Great Sphinx in Iraq and some of the artefacts were discovered in Ballyduff East near Kilmeaden dating back to this time.
Gold was mined or found in Wicklow back then as well and the exhibition deals with rituals of stone structures, styles of construction and burial ritual. There are bronze cauldrons on view next to urns in clay found in Newrath. Due to road development many Bronze Age artefacts and weapons were discovered some in the Carrickpherish area dating back to 1500BC.
Bracelets in gold found in the Waterford/New Ross area with distinctive cups at either end are beautiful and surely could have commercial development as jewellery at this time.
Some of these attractive bracelets were found near Beckett’s Restaurant on the Dunmore Road.
Admission is free and this exhibition runs until the end of September.
