🛡️ From Pipe Cleaners to Shields – A Journey into the Iron Age 🏺
Jan9th
 Twists, Torcs and Celtic Treasures 🎨 Swirls and Spirals: Starlings Explore Celtic Art
Love, Learn, Shine in History!
This week, Starlings class have been diving into the fascinating world of the Iron Age. Today’s focus was on Celtic art, and what an adventure it was!
We began by looking at a Celtic torc – a stunning piece of jewellery worn by important people in Celtic society. The children discovered that the real torc was made from eight gold alloy “ropes” twisted together, and each rope was made of eight strands. It weighed 1kg! To appreciate the incredible skill of the Celtic craftsmen, the children tried making their own version using eight pipe cleaners. It was very tricky – so imagine how hard it would have been with metal!
Next, we explored the famous Battersea Shield, decorated in the beautiful La Tène style with swirls, circles, spirals and leaf patterns. The children created their own shields using card and string, but the real one was made of bronze and weighed a whopping 34kg!
Mrs Pywell, Starlings’ class teacher, said: “The children were amazed by the craftsmanship of the Celts. They loved creating their own designs and really appreciated how much skill and creativity went into these objects thousands of years ago.”
Questions to Ask at Home
Why do you think the Celts decorated their objects so beautifully?
What materials did the Celts use for jewellery and shields?
How do you think life in the Iron Age was different from today?
