Origins – In Search of Early Wales - National Museum Cardiff
The Archaeology gallery Origins: In Search of Early Wales traces life in Wales from the earliest humans 230,000 years ago.
Who were our ancestors, and how different were they from us? What has changed and what has caused these changes?
Follow the arrival of the first hominins (humans) in the Old Stone Age to the end of the Middle Ages.
Through the invasion and conquest of the Romans and ending in the 1500s, the gallery showcases amazing objects that have been discarded, lost or sacrificed along the way.
Boasting the earliest human remains in Britain and stunning Bronze Age goldwork , Origins helps us to explore conflict, power, wealth, family and the future – themes that have preoccupied mankind through the ages.
The stories behind the objects on display provide glimpses of these remote times, and a deeper understanding of our origins.
Some objects are of great beauty, and most were made by unknown hands. Many provide physical evidence of the forces that have changed life and landscape since the first humans walked the earth. Some may appear familiar, others strange.
They help us to understand who we are. Listen to a podcast introducing the Origins exhibition.
Use the links below for a snapshot of what’s in store in each of the Origins time periods:
