DORSET County Museum is holding a fundraising lecture to boost its quest to buy a rare Iron Age mirror.
The Dorchester museum is on a £23,000 fundraising drive as it seeks to purchase the Chesil Mirror, a copper-alloy mirror found between Abbotsbury and Chickerell in 2010 that dates back to the Roman conquest.
As part of the appeal, Professor Andrew Fitzpatrick from Wessex Archaeology will be giving a talk at 7.30pm on Friday, November 30, about the mirror’s discovery and what it adds to our knowledge of Iron Age and Roman Dorset.
The mirror was found by a metal detectorist together with an array of jewellery in the grave of a woman who lived almost 2,000 years ago.
Following the discovery Bournemouth University undertook an excavation to make sure the find was carefully lifted and fully recorded and now the museum wants to buy and conserve the important artefact.
Dr Miles Russell, senior lecturer in Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology at Bournemouth University, said: “Although damaged, this is one of the finest pieces of Celtic Art yet recovered from the British Isles.
“Created over 2,000 years ago, this would undoubtedly have been the prized possession of a wealthy native aristocrat.”
Tickets for the lecture cost £10 from the museum shop on 01305 756827.
For more information email shop@dorsetcountymuseum.org
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