Ourense Torcs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ourense Torcs
The Orense Torcs on display at the British Museum
Material	Gold
Size	13.7cm diameter
Created	c. 300-150 BC
Present location	British Museum, London
Registration	1960,0503.1-2

The Ourense Torcs are two amazing gold necklaces from the Iron Age. They are called 'torcs' and were found near Ourense in Northwest Spain in the 1950s. Today, you can see these ancient treasures at the British Museum in London.

Finding the Ourense Torcs

Nobody knows the exact spot where these two gold necklaces were found. However, experts have studied their shape and design very carefully. They believe the torcs come from Ourense, a city in the Galicia region of Spain. This area is close to the border with Portugal.

What the Torcs Look Like

The two gold torcs are almost exactly the same. They have a round main part and special ends shaped like double reels. These ends have a large dip in the middle. Around the edges, you can see beautiful patterns that were made by pushing the gold from behind. This technique is called repoussé.

The design of these torcs is very typical of the Celtic people. This style was common for torcs made in Galicia and northern Portugal. These areas are part of the Iberian Peninsula.

Learn More About Ancient Gold

In Spanish: Torques de Orense para niños

• Castro Culture
• Braganza Brooch
• Cordoba Treasure

Gallery of Galician Torcs

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  Torcs from the northern Castro Culture in Galicia.

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  Part of a torc found in A Guarda, Galicia. You can see it at the Museo do Castro de St. Tegra.

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  A northern Gallaeci torc, showing how it was made and decorated.

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  A torc from Burela, Galicia. It has special ends and decorated loops. This is the heaviest Iberian torc, weighing 1.812 kilograms.

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  A head of a Gallaecian warrior, wearing a helmet and a torc. This is at the Museo Provincial de Ourense.