Tag Archives: memento mori

Memento Mori

I went into Gloucester City Museum the other day in search of a loo (like you do) and stopped to have a quick peek at the exhibits.   I liked this skull framed with an extraordinary collection of amber and Dorset shale beads.  The central bead is of pyrophillite which came from the Baltic as did the amber. The head below is a reconstruction of the skull.

Here is a mirror they found in the same Iron Age tomb. The museum’s notes say:

The Birdlip Mirror is one of the most important discoveries from Iron Age Britain, discovered alongside a rich selection of exotic goods and human remains.   This exquisite mirror may have belonged to a priest, an aristocrat, king or queen 2,000 years ago.

All I wanted was a trip to the loo and I ended up contemplating my mortality. So it goes.

Lovely museum and lovely staff! I have promised the lady who is on duty on Tuesdays and Thursdays a loaf of seeded bread next time I am there.

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A bit more about the mirror for those who are curious…