Thread by @OwsWills, In 1833, a group of workmen quarrying for stone at Bryn yr [...]

In 1833, a group of workmen quarrying for stone at Bryn yr Ellyllon (Hill of the Elven Faeries) in north Wales, discovered something incredible.

There, caked with mud, was a staggeringly intricate gold cape, one of the finest prehistoric examples in the world.

THREAD

For millennia, Mold's Bryn yr Ellyllon remained largely untouched - the Bronze Age site was prominent in local folklore, awash with terrible tales of supernatural beings.

The precious cape, and the individual who wore it were found in a stone chamber, beneath a burial mound.

Originally created sometime between 1900-1600 B.C., when the artifact was eventually unearthed, it was in desperate condition.

The ancient gold treasure has now been carefully restored, and the craftsmanship with which the cape was originally constructed is patently exceptional.

The intricately detailed object was beaten out of a single ingot of gold, requiring incredible skill.

Decoration almost totally fills the object's surface.

It's been suggested that the motif mimics multiple strings of beads and/or the folds of cloth.

It's believed the slender cape was worn by a high-status individual, probably the same person whose remains were found during the discovery.

Due to its splendour, it has been suggested that she may have been a high priestess, or possibly queen of the Ancient Britons.