A priceless 4,000-year-old gold cape is to return to north-east Wales for the first time since it was discovered there in 1833. The Bronze Age Mold Cape, the largest gold object found in Wales, will be exhibited in Wrexham in September. Culture Minister Alun Pugh said it will be at the centre of a three-month show.
     The cape, widely regarded as one of the finest pieces of Bronze Age craftsmanship, has been painstakingly restored by the British Museum. It was uncovered by workmen quarrying stone in a field called Bryn Yr Ellyllon, not far from what is now Mold Rugby Club's ground in 1833. It was inside a Bronze Age burial mound together with the remains of a skeleton and some amber beads.
     The Mold Cape is a unique treasure and one of the finest examples of Bronze Age gold work in existence. Made from a very high quality of gold, the cape weighs one kilogram and historians believe it was possibly worn as a garment for religious ceremonies by someone in authority. Campaigners have long fought to see the artefact back in north Wales.
     The Mold Cape will form the centrepiece of Re-creations: Visualising our Past. The exhibition runs from 26 September until 17 December and looks at how the past can be reconstructed from material evidence - either physically, as in the case of the cape, or through artists' impressions. The event has been backed by a grant from the Welsh Assembly Government's 'Sharing Treasure' scheme, which helps local museums take exhibits on loan.
     Mr Pugh said he was "very proud" that the assembly government has been able to help bring the cape back to the area it was found. "I am sure there will be no shortage of visitors eager to see this fascinating piece of Wales' prehistoric past," said Mr Pugh.

Source: BBC News (14 July 2005)