National Archaeology Seminar 2010
The National Roads Authority is pleased to announce its annual national archaeology seminar as part of National Heritage Week (21-29 August). The title of the 2010 seminar is Past Times, Changing Fortunes and the theme will examine the archaeological evidence discovered on national road schemes in recent years. The programme of speakers has yet to be finalised.
The seminar will take place on Thursday 26 August at the Gresham Hotel, O’Connell Street, Dublin. Registration will begin at 9.30 am and the first presentation will be at 10.10 am. Admission is free but booking for this very popular event is essential.
To register please contact Lillian Butler at (01) 6602511 or lbutler@nra.ie. Please provide advance notice of accessibility requirements.
Posted 5 July 2010
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Archaeological discoveries in the shadow of the Galtees
Since July 2008 motorists travelling from Dublin to Cork have been able to zip along a new 41 km long stretch of motorway between Cashel and Mitchelstown; the new road is one section of the M8, which carries some of the heaviest volumes of traffic in the State. The motorway has replaced the old, narrow N8 and allows motorists to drive more safely and reduces the overall travel time between Cork and Dublin. What is not widely known is that construction of this new road led to the discovery of a great many significant, previously unidentified, archaeological sites. These sites were excavated in advance of construction of the motorway and the discoveries have added a new depth to our knowledge of South Tipperary. Now the results of these excavations have been published by the National Roads Authority in a book titled In the Shadow of the Galtees: archaeological excavations along the N8 Cashel to Mitchelstown Road Scheme, written by Melanie McQuade, Bernice Molloy and Colm Moriarty. The new book was launched by Minister of State Martin Mansergh on 16 November at a medieval-themed launch in the banqueting hall at Cahir Castle, which was attended by more than 80 people.
The excavations described in this book provide a rare opportunity to glimpse aspects of the daily lives of our ancestors. The book describes the fascinating artefacts which were found including stone tools, pottery vessels, beads and a charming clay pipe, decorated with the motto ‘Home Rule’. These objects reflect the changing needs, tastes, and even political allegiances of the people who lived in this area over the last 5,000 years. A chapter describes the human remains from a number of Bronze Age and later burial sites. While in another chapter the microscopic remains of charred seeds and charcoal are used to reconstruct the natural and farmed landscapes in which our prehistoric ancestors lived 2,000–4,000 years ago.
The most significant discoveries described in the book are 24 Bronze Age buildings (between 4,000 and 2,600 years old). As these were constructed from wood and other perishable materials all that survived were the foundation trenches and post-holes that supported the walls. This is the largest number of Bronze Age buildings discovered to date on any single road scheme in Ireland. Dr Joanna Brück of the School of Archaeology, University College Dublin, has commented:
“It is one of the intriguing aspects of recent developer-funded archaeological investigations in many parts of Ireland that evidence for Bronze Age activity is so common . . . the sites described in this volume add to our understanding of Bronze Age society both at a local and national level”.
In the Shadow of the Galtees is attractively produced with full-colour illustrations throughout, containing descriptions and discussions of the excavated sites. Not only will this book appeal to anyone who is fascinated about our past, it will also be of immense interest to people from the Tipperary region. The new book is available through bookshops or directly from Wordwell Book Sales, Wordwell Limited, Media House, South County Business Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18 (tel: +353 1 2947860; e-mail: helen@wordwellbooks.com).
Posted 16 December 2009
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‘The Science of a Cemetery - The Ballyhanna Research Project’
The 10th annual National Science Week took place in November 2009, it’s declared aim to promote the relevance of science to the future development of Irish society and the economy. That said, past society was the topic of the opening lecture at Institute of Technology, Sligo with a focus on what science can tell us about our medieval ancestors.
The Science of a Cemetery was the umbrella title of a series of talks given by researchers from the Ballyhanna Research Project. Funded by the National Roads Authority in collaboration with Institute of Technology Sligo and Queens University Belfast, the Project is a 4 year research programme centred on the medieval church and graveyard discovered in 2003 on the route of the N15 Bundoran-Ballyshannon Bypass in County Donegal. Buried around a small church at Ballyhanna, Ballyshannon were the well-preserved skeletal remains of some 1,300 individuals, excavated by Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd.
The Project was established as an osteoarchaeological and applied science research partnership so as to retrieve the maximum amount of information about those buried there on the banks of the River Erne. Use of the burial ground spans almost the entire Irish medieval period. The initial tranche of radiocarbon dates indicates burial at the site as early as c. AD 700, prior to the Viking plunder of the ecclesiastical sites of the Erne river system. People were still being laid to rest there as the Earls took Flight in the 17th century.
The talks were very well attended on the night and were also available live on the IT Sligo website. The list of talks and speakers included:
Welcome and Introduction by Dr. Jeremy Bird (Head of School of Science at Institute of Technology, Sligo)
The Ballyhanna Research Project - An Overview by Michael MacDonagh (Senior Archaeologist with National Roads Authority)
Life in Medieval Gaelic Ireland - Osteoarchaeological Analysis of the Ballyhanna Adults by Catriona McKenzie (osteoarchaeologist, Queens University, Belfast)
Coping with Disability in Medieval Ireland - Multiple Osteochondromas at Ballyhanna by Dr. Eileen Murphy (Senior Lecturer in palaeoecology, Queens University Belfast)
Insights into ancient diet, environment and health through elemental analysis of Ballyhanna bone by Dr Ted McGowan (lecturer in School of Science, Institute of Technology, Sligo)
Ancient DnA - Genetic insights into a Medieval Gaelic Population by Sheila Tierney (biomolecular scientist, Institute of Technology, Sligo)
Under the Grass - The Creation of the Ballyhanna Heritage Park by Grainne Leamy (archaeologist with the National Roads Authority)
The Project lays a benchmark for the potential of future integrated, scientific studies of skeletal remains of past societies. It showcases the ability of 3rd level institutions and partnerships with them to create knowledge from material generated by archaeological excavation. The work of the Ballyhanna Research Project creates much knowledge of life and death in medieval Ireland. Perhaps it is in the area of genetic disease studies that the Project will some day be seen in some small way as best rising to Science Week’s aim of seeing the relevance of science as contributing to the future development of Irish society.
The results of the Ballyhanna Research Project will be published as an NRA monograph in 2010/2011.
Posted 19 November 2009
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Places Along the Way: the first M3 monograph
The NRA is delighted to announce the imminent publication of Places Along the Way: first findings on the M3, edited by Mary B Deevy and Donald Murphy. Places Along the Way presents substantial accounts of and reflections on eight of the most significant sites excavated on the M3 motorway between Dunboyne and Navan in County Meath—an area incorporating the broader landscape around the Hill of Tara. The chapters describing the individual sites in this volume are all interim statements written while post-excavation research was continuing; however, many of the conclusions tentatively proposed in the new book are unlikely to be radically altered by further research. While the evidence from the sites concentrates heavily on the early medieval period, there are also substantial traces of prehistoric and later medieval activity. The book also contains an important contribution to the documentary evidence for later medieval settlement in Meath.
This exciting new book is significant in two respects; it will be the fifth publication in the NRA Scheme Monographs series and represents the first monograph dedicated to the excavation results from the M3 Clonee to North of Kells motorway scheme. Places Along the Way will be published by the National Roads Authority in December 2009 and will be available through bookshops or directly from Wordwell Books Sales (tel: +353 01 2947860; e-mail: helen@wordwellbooks.com).
Posted 18 November 2009
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New issue of Seanda magazine
The NRA Archaeology Section is pleased to announce the publication of Issue 4 (2009) of Seanda, the NRA archaeology magazine. At present, a PDF version of the magazine is available to view and download from the NRA website, please click here. Hard copies of the magazine will be distributed nationwide to all public libraries and secondary schools in early November.
Copies of the magazine will also available upon request, please contact:
Lillian Butler, Archaeology Section, NRA, St Martin’s House, Waterloo Road, Dublin 4. Tel: +353-1-6658859. Email: lbutler@nra.ie
Posted 27 October 2009
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Latest NRA seminar proceedings
On 27 August 2009 Mick Monk of the Department of Archaeology, University College Cork, launched Dining and Dwelling, edited by Michael Stanley, Ed Danaher and James Eogan. This new book is the sixth volume in the Archaeology and the National Roads Authority Monograph Series and contains the proceedings of the NRA National Archaeology Seminar held on 28 August 2008 at the Gresham Hotel, Dublin, as part of National Heritage Week. In common with the most recent seminars in the series, the 2008 event focused on a particular theme—dining and dwelling, addressing the archaeological evidence for food production, processing and consumption and rural settlement in Ireland from the earliest farmers through to the 19th century. The book contains 15 papers in all and the authors, among them archaeologists, archaeobotanists and zooarchaeologists, describe a wealth of previously unknown archaeological remains uncovered in counties Carlow, Cork, Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny, Limerick, Offaly, Roscommon and Tipperary on new sections of the N6, N7, N8, N9/N10 and N17 routes.
Highlights from Dining and Dwelling include the excavation of a spectacularly well-preserved early medieval wooden watermill at Kilbegly, Co. Roscommon; an account of the use of experimental archaeology to examine the theory that some Bronze Age fulachta fiadh/burnt mounds (ubiquitous on Irish road schemes) were actually micro-breweries; an examination of early medieval feasting as evidenced by an exquisite zoomorphic, or animal-like, drinking-horn terminal mount of copper alloy recovered during excavations at Ballyvass, Co. Kildare; and a consideration of the challenges and opportunities presented by the use of advanced computer technology and visualisation software to create 3D-animated reconstructions of ancient dwellings.
Given the wealth of new environmental data described in the book, Mick Monk, one of Ireland’s leading environmental archaeologists for many years, was an obvious choice to launch Dining and Dwelling, which he praised as ‘an extremely important addition to the series, presenting, in a preliminary way, insights into the challenging new evidence’ from the roads-building programme, including sites that offered what he described as ‘gold nugget situations in archaeology’. In congratulating the authors and editors on producing ‘an excellent volume’ and ‘beautiful production’, he commended the book as a tribute to the teamwork and cooperation of the various archaeological consultancies, academic institutions and NRA archaeologists involved. He further commented that the monograph series was ‘a crucial avenue into the cascade of new evidence’ stemming from development-led archaeology, offering ‘a possibility to frame questions and research into the future’ from this new ‘gold’ information.
Dining and Dwelling is published by the NRA and is available through bookshops or directly from Wordwell Book Sales, Wordwell Limited, Media House, South County Business Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18 (tel: +353 1 2947860; e-mail: helen@wordwellbooks.com).
Mick Monk of the Department of Archaeology, UCC, speaking during the launch of Dining and Dwelling
Mick Monk celebrating the launch of Dining and Dwelling with some of the authors: (left to right) Colm Flynn, Meriel McClatchie, Ken Hanley, John Tierney, Patricia Long, Mick Monk, Colm Moriarty, Melanie McQuade, Billy Quinn and Declan Moore
Posted 9th October 2009
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National Archaeology Seminar 2009
On 27 August 2009 the NRA held its annual National Archaeology Seminar at the Gresham Hotel, Dublin, to coincide with National Heritage Week (22–30 August). The title of this year’s seminar was Creative Minds: production, manufacturing and invention in ancient Ireland. Within this theme the various speakers sought to investigate, understand and celebrate the creativity of our ancestors, as evidenced by the many discoveries made on national road schemes. Those who attended the seminar heard about the production of stone tools, pottery and textiles during prehistory; the manufacture of hand bells at a monastic site and other metalworking processes during the later prehistoric and medieval periods; and the inventive interpretations of some of the earliest evidence for wheeled transport in Ireland. As the last point alludes to, the seminar was equally a celebration of the creativity of archaeologists themselves. Interpreting the incomplete remains of past human activity is an exacting challenge and requires a good measure of creativity, not only in terms of trying to marshal and understand the evidence but also in its presentation. Through their use of experimental archaeology and computer-generated reconstructions, and by synthesising evidence from many sites around the country, the speakers abundantly demonstrated the requisite ingenuity to meet this challenge.
The seminar series has proven to be a popular event in the archaeological calendar and it was a testimony to the continuing success of the seminars that there were so many people in attendance. The NRA would like to express its appreciation to all of the speakers and attendees for participating in and ensuring the success of the day.
Abstracts from the presentations delivered at the seminar can be viewed on the NRA website, at www.nra.ie/Archaeology/ArchaeologySeminar2009/. All of the papers given at the Creative Minds seminar will be published in autumn 2010 in the Archaeology and the National Roads Authority Monograph Series.
Prehistoric pottery expert Eoin Grogan addressing the seminar
Replica early medieval hand bell on display at the seminar
Speakers Eoin Grogan, Chiara Chiriotti, Cathy Moore and Ellen O’Carroll during one of the question and answer sessions
Participants at the Creative Minds seminar: (left to right) Michael MacDonagh, Richard O’Brien, Angela Wallace, Eoin Grogan, Farina Sternke, John Tierney, Ellen O’Carroll, Cathy Moore, Chiara Chiriotti, Niall Kenny, Mary Deevy and Paul Stevens
Posted 9th October 2009
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Public Seminar
Archaeological Discoveries on the M7 Nenagh - Limerick Motorway - Public Seminar will take place on Saturday 10 October at the Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. Registration will begin at 9.30 am and the first presentation will be at 10.00 am. Admission is free but booking is essential.
To register please contact Paul O'Keeffe at (061) 496800 or pokeeffe@nra.ie. Please provide advance notice of accessibility requirements.
Draft Programme of Public Seminar
9.30am Registration
Session 1, Chair: Professor William O’Brien (UCC)
10.00am Welcome & Introduction
TBC, NRA
10.10am Early People in the Mid – West: recent Mesolithic discoveries
TBC, Aegis Archaeology
10.30am Excavations at Tullahedy Neolithic mound
Hilary Kelleher, UCC
10.50am The Foundations of Bronze Age Settlement in the Kilmastulla Valley
Aisling Mulcahy, TVAS Ireland
11.10am Questions & Answers
11.20am Tea & Coffee
Session 2, Chair: Sebastien Joubert (NRA Senior Archaeologist)
11.35am Fulachtaí fia in the Slieve Felim area: findings from the recent M7 excavations
Liam Hackett, Headland Archaeology
11.55am The Iron Age Archaeology of the M7: excavations at Annaholty and Ballywilliam
Kate Taylor, TVAS Ireland
12.15pm Overview of Significance – putting the M7 prehistoric discoveries in local & regional context
Dr. Eoin Grogan
12.35pm Questions & Answers
12.45pm Lunch
Session 3, Chair: Dr. Eoin Grogan
2.00pm Settlement and industry at three newly discovered early medieval enclosures at Gortybrigane and Killalane Co. Tipperary and Sallymount Co Limerick
Patricia Long, Headland Archaeology
2.20pm Kilnacranna: a case study of early medieval material culture
Alison Kyle, Headland Archaeology
2.40pm Early medieval burial at Carrigatogher (Harding)
Kate Taylor, TVAS Ireland
3.00pm Questions & Answers
3.15pm Tea & Coffee
Session 4, Chair: Richard O’Brien (NRA Archaeologist)
3.30pm An enclosure in Castlecranna: life before the castle?
Maggie McNamara, TVAS Ireland
3.50pm From Hall House to Tower House and everything in between: excavations at Ballintotty, Co. Tipperary
TBC, Aegis Archaeology
4.10pm Archaeological Discoveries on the M7 – overview and Concluding Remarks
Richard O’Brien, NRA
4.25pm Questions & Answers
4.45pm Close
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National Archaeology Seminar 2009
The National Roads Authority is pleased to announce its annual national archaeology seminar as part of National Heritage Week (22-30 August). The title of the 2009 seminar is Creative Minds: production, manufacturing and invention in ancient Ireland and the theme will examine the archaeological evidence for production, manufacturing and invention discovered on national road schemes in recent years. The programme of speakers has yet to be finalised but topics confirmed so far include the production of prehistoric stone tools at Tullahedy, Co. Tipperary; spindle whorls (used for spinning thread) recovered on various road schemes; prehistoric pottery discoveries; the manufacture of early medieval handbells at Clonfad, Co. Westmeath; iron-working; the exploitation and use of wood in the past; charcoal production and evidence for prehistoric wheeled transport uncovered at Edercloon, Co. Longford.
The seminar will take place on Thursday 27 August at the Gresham Hotel, O’Connell Street, Dublin. Registration will begin at 9.30 am and the first presentation will be at 10.10 am. Admission is free but booking for this very popular event is essential.
To register please contact Lillian Butler at (01) 6602511 or lbutler@nra.ie. Please provide advance notice of accessibility requirements.
Members of the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland should note that this event has been accredited 10 CPD points.
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New addition to the NRA Scheme Monographs series
Near the Bend in the River: the archaeology of the N25 Kilmacthomas realignment by Penny Johnston, Jacinta Kiely and John Tierney is the third publication in the NRA scheme-specific monograph series. Published at the end of 2008, this new book describes the results of archaeological investigations on the route of the N25 Kilmacthomas realignment in County Waterford undertaken by Eachtra Archaeological Projects between 1998 and 2000.
The excavations resulted in the identification of traces of past human activity in 30 separate areas along the length of this new road. Before this work only a single fulacht fiadh, or burnt mound, was known along the line of the realignment. The remains uncovered range from the nationally significant discovery of the foundation post-holes of a building constructed almost 4,500 years ago by people who used highly decorated Beaker pottery to the locally significant identification of a field system probably associated with the development of the settlement of Kilmacthomas in the medieval period. The excavations revealed almost continuous human activity in this part of Waterford during the last six millennia and the findings are presented in the form of a gazetteer, with an accompanying CD-ROM incorporating all of the final excavation and specialist reports.
The new book is published by the NRA and is available through bookshops or directly from Wordwell Book Sales, Wordwell Limited, Media House, South County Business Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18 (Tel: +353 1 2947860; email: helen@wordwellbooks.com).
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New issue of Seanda, the NRA archaeology magazine
The NRA Archaeology Section is pleased to announce the publication of Seanda 2008 Issue 3, the NRA archaeology magazine. Copies of the magazine are available upon request, please contact:
Lillian Butler, Archaeology Section, NRA, St Martin's House, Waterloo Road, Dublin 4.
Tel: +353-1-6658859. Email: lbutler@nra.ie.
A PDF version of the magazine is also available, please click here.
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New database of archaeological sites
A new web-based database of archaeological sites excavated on NRA road schemes was launched on 28 August 2008 as part of the NRA’s ongoing dissemination strategy. The NRA Archaeological Database contains important baseline information relating to excavations carried out on road schemes throughout the country and will allow for comparison between site types, locations and dating periods of the archaeological sites excavated. It will also facilitate site types being examined nationally to see what patterns emerge and indeed may help in the future prediction of site locations in the landscape.
The database can be accessed in the NRA Archaeological Database section of the NRA website: www.nra.ie/Archaeology/NRAArchaeologicalDatabase/. To date, almost 500 sites from over 32 road schemes in 18 counties have been entered into the database. The NRA Archaeological Database is a work in progress and will be regularly updated as final excavation reports become available. As the roads programme continues, the database will, of course, continue to expand as new discoveries are made and recorded. The NRA Archaeological Section welcomes any feedback about the operation of the database from the general public and professional archaeologists.
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Two new archaeology publications
On 28 August 2008, Professor Richard Bradley, Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, launched two new NRA archaeology publications—The Archaeology of Life and Death in the Boyne Floodplain by Neil Carlin, Linda Clarke and Fintan Walsh and Roads, Rediscovery and Research edited by Jerry O’Sullivan and Michael Stanley.
The Archaeology of Life and Death in the Boyne Floodplain: the linear landscape of the M4 is the second publication in the NRA scheme-specific monograph series. The new book describes the results of archaeological investigations on the route of the M4 Kinnegad–Enfield–Kilcock motorway scheme conducted in 2002 by Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd and Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd. This publication represents a substantial contribution to our understanding of the early medieval period in particular, but also of the early Iron Age and of later developments. An accompanying CD-ROM incorporates the final excavation and specialist reports.
The publication of the fifth volume in the Archaeology and the National Roads Authority Monograph Series—Roads, Rediscovery and Research—was cause for much celebration. This new book contains the proceedings of the NRA National Archaeology Seminar held in August 2007. In addition to describing the discovery of many previously unknown sites, such as a prehistoric hillfort at Rahally, Co. Galway, and a rare Iron Age ceremonial post enclosure at Lismullin, Co. Meath, this volume also contains introductions to and preliminary results from two important NRA research initiatives—the Ballyhanna Research Project and the M3 Research Framework.
When launching the new publications, Professor Bradley remarked that “Irish archaeology has been transformed in a number of ways, which has been extremely good … We now see rapid dissemination of the primary data and a quality of fieldwork which, it is fair to say, could not have been achieved by earlier generations. This is because it’s now possible to fund certain projects adequately, which is crucial”.
Both books are published by the NRA and are available through bookshops or directly from Wordwell Book Sales, Wordwell Limited, Media House, South County Business Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18 (Tel: +353 1 2947860; email: helen@wordwellbooks.com).
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New Roads - New Discoveries
Cork Public Museum, The National Roads Authority and The Museum of Ireland invite you to the exhibition of New Roads - New Discoveries, archaeological excavations on National Roads Schemes in County Cork 2001-2007. Exhibition is held from June 11th to December 19th, 2008 in Cork Public Museum, Fitzgerald Park, Mardyke, Cork.
Opening times:
Monday to Friday:11.00 - 13.00 & 14.15 - 17.00
Saturday: 11.00 - 13.00 & 14.15 - 16.00
Sunday: 15.00 to 17.00
Admission is free. For further information contact 021-4270679 or museum@corkcity.ie
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Hidden Landscape - Searching for the Lost Kingdom of Mide
Valerie J Keeley Ltd, The National Roads Authority and Westmeath County Council invite you to the exhibition of Hidden Landscape - Searching for the Lost Kingdom of Mide, archaeological excavations on N6 Kinnegad- Kilbeggan and N52 Mullingar-Belvedere National Road Schemes between 2004-2006. Have you ever wondered how people lived in the past? Where did they live? How did they die? What did they work at? These are some of many questions that will be answered at this new exhibition, which will portray life in early medieval times in Co. Westmeath. Exhibition is held from April 16th to September 30th, 2008 in Belvedere House, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.
Opening times:
Monday to Sunday: 10.00 - 17.00
Admission is free. For further information contact 044-9349060 or info@belvedere-house.ie
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Monumental Beginnings in Sligo: a new monograph series is launched by the NRA Archaeology Section
On 6 December 2007 Dr Stefan Bergh, Dept. of Archaeology, NUI Galway, launched the first publication in the new NRA scheme-specific monograph series. Monumental Beginnings by Ed Danaher describes the results of discovery and archaeological excavation along the route of the N4 Sligo Inner Relief Road. Investigations in 2003 by Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd and initial testing and excavation by Mary Henry Archaeological Services Ltd in 2001 resulted in the discovery of a number of significant prehistoric sites, including that of a causewayed enclosure dating to the Early Neolithic period, around 4000 BC. These discoveries add to the archaeological heritage of a region already well known for its upstanding monuments. An accompanying CD-ROM to the publication incorporates final excavation and specialist reports.
Dr Alison Sheridan, Head of Early Prehistory, National Museums of Scotland, has said of the book, ‘It is often said that the boom in Irish developer-funded archaeology means that we will have to rewrite the textbooks. Here is one of the key sources of information that will help us to do just that.’
Monumental Beginnings: the archaeology of the N4 Sligo Inner Relief Road (NRA Scheme Monographs 1) is available from Wordwell Book Sales, Wordwell Limited, Media House, South County Business Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18 (Tel: +353 1 2947860; email: helen@wordwellbooks.com), and through bookshops.
From left to right: Michael MacDonagh, NRA Senior Archaeologist; Dr Stefan Berg, NUI Galway; Councillor Seamus Kilgannon, Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council; Councillor Declan Bree, Deputy Mayor of Sligo City; Ed Danaher, NRA Archaeologist (Author); Michael Egan, NRA Head of Corporate Affairs
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New issue of Seanda, the NRA archaeology magazine
The NRA Archaeology Section is pleased to announce the publication of Seanda 2007 Issue 2, the NRA archaeology magazine. Copies of the magazine are available upon request, please contact:
Lillian Butler, Archaeology Section, NRA, St Martin's House, Waterloo Road, Dublin 4.
Tel: +353-1-6658859. Email: lbutler@nra.ie.
A PDF version of the magazine is also available, please click here.
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Megalithic art discovery at Lismullin souterrain
For further information and photos please click here (PDF)
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‘Roads, Resolution and Research’: the NRA’s contribution to National Heritage Week 2007
The NRA Archaeology Section recently held its fourth annual Heritage Week seminar, entitled ‘Roads, Resolution and Research’, at the Gresham Hotel, Dublin, on 30 August. Fully booked in advance for the second year in a row, the seminar was very well attended by both members of the public and professional archaeologists. In addition to presentations on individual sites discovered around the country, the seminar emphasised the research element of NRA-funded archaeological investigations, focusing particular attention on the Ballyhanna Research Project, relating to the N15 Bundoran–Ballyshannon Bypass, and work being conducted as part of the M3 Research Framework. The breadth of expertise of the speakers, which included archaeologists, historians, an archaeobotanist, an archaeozoologist, an analytical chemist and a biomolecular scientist, also reflected the seminars general theme of research . ‘Roads, Resolution and Research’ proved to be a very successful and interesting event, and even featured an unexpected ‘show and tell’ session from archaeobotanist Scott Timpany who distributed sampling equipment and environmental samples around the room for people to examine first hand. The NRA would like to express its appreciation to all the speakers and the attendees for participating and helping ensure the success of the seminar.
Abtracts and extracts from all the presentations can be viewed at http://www.nra.ie/Archaeology/ArchaeologySeminar2007/. The proceedings of this seminar will be published in August 2008 as part of the Archaeology and the National Roads Authority Monograph Series.
Mary Deevy, NRA senior archaeologist, outlining recent developments on the M3 motorway scheme
Anne Connon, consultant historian with Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, reviewing research on the early medieval history of County Meath in relation to the M3
Jonathan Kinsella, archaeological researcher with Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, discussing the medieval archaeology uncovered along the route of the M3
Speakers at the ‘Roads, Resolution and Research’ seminar: (from left to right) Jonathan Kinsella, Auli Tourunen, Gerry Mullins, Michael MacDonagh, Tasneem Bashir, Sébastien Joubert, Sheila Tierney, Caitríona Moore, Eimear O’Connor, Scott Timpany, Mary Deevy, Anne Connon and Margaret Murphy. (Micheál Ó Droma also presented a paper but is absent from the photograph.)
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NRA Archaeology Section launches new monograph
‘New Routes to the Past’, the fourth publication in the Archaeology and the National Roads Authority Monograph Series, was launched on 30 August 2007 by Professor Emeritus Seamas Caulfield at the Gresham Hotel, Dublin. The new book contains the proceedings of a seminar on recent archaeological discoveries on national road schemes held in the Chester Beatty Library in August 2006 as part of National Heritage Week. The monograph, which is written in an accessible, jargon-free style with numerous colour illustrations, contains papers outlining the archaeology uncovered on a number of schemes including the N11 Gorey to Arklow Link Road, the N5 Charlestown Bypass, the N8 Mitchelstown Relief Road, the N25 Waterford City Bypass, the N7 Limerick Southern Ring Road (Phase II), the N6 Galway to East Ballinasloe PPP scheme, the N52 Mullingar Belvedere Road Improvement Scheme, the M7 Portlaoise to Castletown/M8 Portlaoise to Cullahill motorway scheme and the M3 Clonee to North of Kells motorway scheme.
When launching the new publication Professor Caulfield drew particular attention to the previously undocumented sites being identified throughout the country as well as the hitherto unkown site types and artefacts that have been discovered during the roads-building programme. He commented that the NRA was conducting very important archaeological work in uncovering what he playfully coined as ‘Rumsfeldian archaeology’—“the archaeology we didn’t know we didn’t know.” Professor Caulfield also complimented the various contributors to the book, praising the palpable enthusiasm with which each paper was written. He suggested that the writers might favourably be described as true amateurs, citing the Latin root of the word as meaning ‘to love’, noting that their love of their subject was clear for all to read.
‘New Routes to the Past’ is published by the NRA and is available through bookshops or directly from Wordwell Book Sales, Wordwell Limited, Media House, South County Business Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18 (tel: +353 1 2947860; email: helen@wordwellbooks.com).
Professor Emeritus Seamas Caulfield launching ‘New Routes to the Past’ at the Gresham Hotel, 30 August 2007
Professor Caulfield reading an extract from ‘New Routes to the Past’
Professor Caulfield making a serious point during his speech
Rónán Swan (right), NRA head of archaeology (acting), and Professor Caulfield
Rónán Swan and Professor Caulfield with the co-editor of the new monograph Michael Stanley, NRA archaeologist (acting), and one of its contributors Brendon Wilkins of Headland Archaeology Ltd
Contributors Thaddeus Breen, Paul Stevens and John Channing, all of Valerie J Keeley Ltd, admiring each others work