纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 019莫尔德黄金披肩(8)

In many societies in the past, a teenager could be a parent, a full adult, a leader.

在过去的很多社群，十几岁的人就能成为父母、领导，

And so the cape could have well have been worn by a young person who already had considerable power.

完全被当作成年人对待。因此披肩有可能由一位权力相当大的年轻人穿着。

We can only guess. The key evidence, the skeleton that was found inside the cape, was thrown away when the gold was discovered, as it clearly had no financial value.

遗憾的是，最关键的证据，即披肩里包裹的骸骨，由于没有经济价值，在黄金出土时便被丢弃了。

So when I look at the Mold Gold Cape now, I have a strange mix of sensations-exhilaration that such a supreme work of art has survived,

如今看着莫尔德黄金披肩，我心情复杂，一方面为如此精美的艺术品能保存至今而兴奋，

and frustration that the surrounding material-which would have told us so much about this great

一方面也因为它周围的物品被莽撞地丢弃而愤怒。

and mysterious civilisation that flourished in North Wales four thousand years ago, was recklessly discarded.

我们原本可以通过它们更多地了解四千年前在北威尔士蓬勃发展的那个神秘而伟大的文明。

It's why archaeologists get so agitated about illicit excavations today.

这也是考古学家对盗墓活动如此反感的原因。

For although the precious finds will often survive, the context which explains them will be lost,

虽然珍贵的物品常能 被保存下来，但那些能够解释它们背景的物品却常会遗失。

and it's that context of material-usually financially worthless-that turns treasure into history.

这些背景物品虽然不具有高昂的经济价值，但对历史研究意义重大。