Capel Garmon Firedog facts for kids

The Capel Garmon Firedog (called Pentan Capel Garmon in Welsh) is a very old iron object from the end of the Iron Age. It was found in Capel Garmon, Wales. It's like a special stand used near a fire.

Quick facts for kids Capel Garmon Firedog
Pentan Capel Garmon
Material	Iron
Weight	Originally ~38kg
Period/culture	Late Iron Age
Discovered	Capel Garmon, Conwy, Wales
Present location	Sain Ffagan

A Look Back in Time

The Capel Garmon firedog was discovered in a field at Carreg Goedog Farm in Capel Garmon, Conwy. It was buried deep on its side, with a large stone at each end. This way of placing it suggests it might have been a special gift or offering to a Celtic god.

The firedog was found in a wet, muddy area called a peat bog in Denbighshire in 1852. Experts who study Iron Age art have known about it since 1901. After it was found, the firedog was kept nearby at Voelas Hall.

In 1939, Colonel J. C. Wynne Finch, who owned the firedog, lent it to the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff. He was also a governor of the museum. Later, the firedog was officially given to Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. This happened through a special program that lets people donate important art or heritage items to public museums instead of paying some taxes.

What Was It Used For?

The firedog was likely one of a pair. It would have stood by the fireplace in a large roundhouse, probably belonging to an important leader or "chieftain." The animal heads on each side of the firedog might look like a horse, a dog, or even a mythical creature.

Experts believe this object was used to hold spits. Spits are long rods used for roasting food like birds, game, or other small animals over a fire. The loops on the side of the firedog were probably for holding these spits. The "horns" on the animal heads might have supported even larger spits.

Scientists used X-ray scans to study the firedog. They also made a copy of it. These studies showed that the original blacksmith who made it was incredibly skilled. The firedog was made from 85 separate pieces of iron, all shaped and joined together. When it was new, it weighed about 38 kilograms (which is about 84 pounds!). It's thought that it took about three years to create this amazing piece of Iron Age art.

See also

• Archaeology of Wales
• Celtic art
• Celtic Britons