Irish Archaeological Research Winter Magazine

Digital Magazine Issue 5 Winter 2013 Free

Community Outreach Archaeology & school visits on the A8 Belfast – Larne Dual Carriageway Scheme Discovering the Archaeologists of Europe Irish Archaeologists in Oz & their Archaeological Investigations on Aboriginal sites

Examining burial space in Blackfriary Trim, Ireland

Contents Page 3

From Ireland to Arnhem Land: ‘A Personal Account’ Denis Shine and Sean Paul Stephens

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Discovering the Archaeologists of Ireland within wider Europe Dr Kerri Cleary, Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland

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The Dead Beneath the Floors: The use of space for burial in the Dominican Blackfriary in Trim, Ireland Emma Lagan

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CHAT: Cultural Heritage Amenity Town

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A Very Big House In The Country – Preliminary results of excavations on the A8

Cultural Tourism Ireland

Belfast to Larne Dual Carriageway Jonathan Barkley, Northern Archaeological Consultancy Ltd

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Community Outreach on the Road—Schools Visit Archaeology site on the A8 Road Scheme Lianne Heaney, Irish Archaeological Research

From Ireland to Arnhem Land: ‘A Personal Account’

Denis Shine and Sean Paul Stephens

The demise of the Irish archaeological profession has been examined at length in the last few years (e.g. Condit 2008; Eogan and O’ Sullivan 2009; Eogan 2010). While shrinking archaeological employment is not unique to Ireland (for a global summary see Aitchison 2009; Schlanger and Aitchison 2010), it was particularly hard felt in our profession due to the growth of an unsustainably large commercial archaeological sector. This developed rapidly, especially through the ‘naughties’, with employment levels rising from 650 to 1709 between 2002 and 2007 (University College Dublin 2006; McDermott and La Piscopia, 2008).

At its peak commercial archaeology accounted for 80% of total archaeological employment with unemployment subsequently concentrated in the same sector. Eogan and O’ Sullivan (2009) estimated an 82% reduction in commercial archaeological staff between July 2008 and January 2009 alone. Finnola O Carroll, previous chairperson of the IAI, commenting on the continued decline in archaeological employment warned against ‘losing more of our best and brightest young archaeologists... stopping in its tracks the creation of knowledge which enriches our understanding and appreciation of our rich archaeological heritage’ (IAI, Public Statement, 21st December 2010).

However this ‘loss’ need not be a singularly negative experience. As a consultant archaeologist who worked through the naughties one of us (D. S.) chose to move to Australia in 2010 after accepting the offer of a PhD scholarship. This offered an opportunity to work with an Aboriginal community in West Arnhem Land in the Northern Territories. This paper seeks to offer a personal account of the archaeological experience in Australia, as well as briefly discussing the benefits this could have for Irish archaeology. For those considering making a similar move it appears obvious that the ‘lucky country’ has much to offer to Irish archaeologists who are able or willing to take up the opportunity!

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Figure 1: The location of the excavated rock‐shelters in relation to Kakadu National Park

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Archaeology in Australia: A Personal Account

The Project Background Our archaeological research is based in Manikilarr Country and is hosted by the Traditional Owners for this area, the Nayinggul family. Manikilarr Country is a small Aboriginal clan area, centred on the East Alligator River in West Arnhem Land (Figure 1). It is immediately adjacent, and partly contained within, the world famous Kakadu National Park, one of the only locations in the world to achieve UNESCO world heritage status for both cultural and natural significance. This region contains some of the more significant archaeological and rock art sites in the country. The rock art throughout West Arnhem Land is amongst the most spectacular in the world, dating from 30,000, and potentially 50,000 (or more) years ago (Chaloupka 1993; David et al. 2013). The archaeological sites are of equal antiquity and are known in the Alligator region to date to at least 50,000 BP and could be significantly earlier. This includes the earliest known sites in Australia, Malakunanja and Nauwalabila (e.g. Schrire 1982; Jones 1985; Roberts, Jones et al. 1990; Roberts, Yoshida et al. 1998; Roberts, Jones et al. 2009). Recent excavations at Nawarla Gabarnmang in Jawoyn country, immediately south of Kakadu Park, have also

revealed occupation dating to at least 45,000 BP as well as the earliest axe grinding technology in the world, dating to c.35,000 BP (Geneste, David et. al. 2010, 2012).

However, despite the recognised archaeological importance of the region, comparatively little archaeological work has been completed in the last 30 years. Our excavations were the first to be undertaken in Kakadu Park since the 1980s (Jones 1985) and the first in this area of West Arnhem Land since the 1960s (Schrire 1982). Prior to these, the only ‘archaeological’ excavations conducted in this area of West Arnhem Land were undertaken as part of the infamous ‘Mountford’ expedition, a joint American and Australian anthropological venture in 1948, which removed human remains from sacred Aboriginal sites without permission (May, Gumurdul et al. 2005; May 2009; McCarthy and Setzler 1960). This included skeletal material from Manikilarr Country which was only returned from the New York Smithsonian Museum in July 2011. Their repatriation was overseen by NaGodjok, the host of our excavations and head of the Nayinggul family (note: Na Godjok is a skin name, a name given based on Aboriginal societal division into groups, it is used here replacing his real name for culturally sensitive reasons).

Figure 2: Community members inspecting a square at Ingaanjalwurr

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Figure 3: The Birriwilk rock art image after which the rock‐shelter is named

Despite the contentious history of past archaeological work, NaGodjok and the Nayingguls were extremely supportive of our work. Archaeological research was lead by NaGodjok and our work began with, and centred on, recording the Nayinggul family’s knowledge and oral histories for a range of sites (Figure 2). NaGodjok informed when, how and why sites were used (at least in the recent past), pointing to specific areas where people camped and rock art that was completed by known members of his family (Figure 3). He believed our work was important to extend his ancestral knowledge back in time, describing archaeology as:

‘[A] very big thing and I am happy because, I know, I heard about it. It brings back many things can, teach many things. One thing I picked up, and I know what it will do, it will tell me, if I have time to live, it will tell if people stayed here, how long, what they ate, how they used [here] when camping here’ (Na Godjok pers. comm. 3 June 2011).

His request to learn more about his ancestral sites fitted well with our research agenda. We aim to cross articulate different approaches to studying the past, namely archaeology, oral histories and historical sources, to investigate how people today historicise persisting cultural attachments to ‘country’. We focused on the period 1500 BP to present which environmental modelling for the region records as a distinct ‘freshwater phase’, when new freshwater floodplains were created from a more saline environment approximately 1500 years ago (e.g. Allen 1987; Allen and Barton, 1989; Hope et al. 1985; Jones 1985; Woodroffe et al. 1986) (Figure 4). With NaGodjok’s guidance three rock‐shelters, Ingaanjalwurr, Birriwilk and Bindjarran, were chosen and six ‘squares’ were excavated (Figure 5).

Figure 4: The freshwater floodplains of Manikilarr Country viewed during the dry season

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Figure 5: The location of the excavated rock‐shelters in relation to topographic detail of Manikilarr Country (Map Grid of Australia Zone 53; Geocentric Datum of Australia 94)

Excavation Procedures The excavation methods for these sites, as with most rock‐shelter excavations, differed entirely to previous excavation experiences in Ireland. Some of the changes are obvious with large site crews, mechanical excavators and waterproofs being replaced by satellite phones, emergency beacons and sun‐block! However archaeological excavation is generally conducted at a different analytical scale, in a similar fashion to indigenous North American sites. Where larger excavations are conducted these are mainly sites from the contact period, which date from at least the 17th century when the Macassans make their presence felt along the northern coast (McKnight 1969; Mulvaney and Kamminga 1999).

Otherwise, excavations on indigenous sites are of ‘lower’ impact. In our case the excavation squares were 0.5 to 1m square in size with excavation undertaken in carefully measured 2cm deep spits or ‘excavation units’ (XUs) (Figures 6 & 7). Each separate unit is documented on record sheets, planned, sampled, photographed and levelled. As a minimum, each XU was also passed through a 2.1mm sieve with the retained material being carefully, and laboriously, sorted under a magnifying glass in laboratory conditions. For this project 100% of the site sediment was also archaeologically floated through 250 µm mesh and wet sieved through 1mm mesh.

This strategy is appropriate considering a few centimetres of stratigraphy can represent a time‐frame of thousands of years in a prehistory that is known to extend 5‐6 times further than Ireland’s. The fine grained excavation techniques are intended to clearly identify and date subtle alterations in material culture, economic activity and/or periods of natural environment change. As such rigorous use of radiometric dating was also applied amounting to 37 AMS dates for an area totalling approximately 2m by 2.25m!

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Figure 6: Post‐excavation drawing of the Birriwilk Square with XUs plotted in the background

Excavation Results While the aim of this piece is not to present research results, brief mention is merited. Collectively the rock‐shelter excavations provided a significant Holocene record (c.11,500 years ago to present). Although the Holocene is well discussed on a continental scale it remains poorly examined in Western Arnhem Land, considering the paucity of previous archaeological work. Focusing on the period 1500 BP to present the research has revealed evidence of changing and intensified settlement patterns from c.1500‐1200 BP. These are thought to represent a temporal trend associated to the creation, and subsequent exploitation, of the new freshwater floodplains.

In the more recent past, c.300‐100 years ago, a second intensification in site usage is related to an expanding Aboriginal population and further exploitation of freshwater food resources. The impact of white contact, at the end of this period, was examined through the entry of new material culture and changing Aboriginal visual (i.e. rock art) narratives. This contact was only established in Manikilarr Country when Paddy Cahill (incidentally of Irish descent and first generation Australian) commenced water‐buffalo hunting on the East Alligator floodplains in the 1891 (Figure 8). His establishment of a cattle station in the area in 1909 (Mulvaney 2004) corresponds to a clear decrease and virtual abandonment of the rock‐shelters, although their use did continue in some capacity in NaGodjok’s youth in the mid 20th Century.

Figure 7: Hilton Garnarradj (Traditional Owner) excavating at Bindjarran IAR Digital Magazine Issue 5

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However, in the context of this piece the greatest success of the research has been the ability to combine Western histories, Aboriginal visual and oral narratives and excavation results to achieve a more nuanced understanding of the recent past of Manikilarr Country. This was only made possible by pursuing a cooperative approach to the research with Nayinggul family and wider Aboriginal community.

Conclusions The paper opened with a brief summary of the decline in archaeological employment in Figure 8: Rock art image of a Chinese water buffalo hunter, known as ‘Yellow Charlie’s Ireland and the motivation of one of us to father’ from the Bindjarran rock‐shelter. seek new opportunities by emigrating. While the Irish economy remains stagnant emigration figures will continue to increase (with 200 emigrants now leaving Ireland daily and a 33% increase in Irish working holiday visas for Australia recorded in 2011 alone). Anecdotal evidence, such as a facebook page entitled ‘Irish Archaeologists in Australia’, indicates these emigrants include at least some archaeologists.

Emigration to Australia offers not only the opportunity to secure well paid employment, to travel or to engage with a different culture but also allows Irish archaeologists to acquire new expertise. Each profession has its own peculiar strengths, with Australian archaeology commendable for its fine grained excavation techniques, especially in an academic context, and its pursuit of a strong cooperative approach in archaeological research. While the excavation methods in Australia may not be applicable to most Irish archaeological sites (although they could be suited to some prehistoric excavations) Irish archaeology could profit from Australian proficiency in community engagement.

Social and community archaeology has been developed in Australia over a period of decades. This was initially driven from the 1970s by indigenous groups, who began to challenge how their own histories were portrayed. This forced archaeologists to confront issues on representation, reconciliation, repatriation and crucially, how to better merge the present with the past (David et. al. 2006). Through the 1980s ‘social archaeology’ began to emerge in Australia and it is now a recognised world leader in this field. Australia is adept in pursuing a cooperative approach in archaeology based on genuine host‐guest archaeological models. These models are built on a strong theoretical foundation and attempt to place equal importance on the past and present (McNiven and Russell 2005). Irish archaeology is striding in this direction with the development of its own community and public archaeologies, and welcome initiatives including the creation of this group. However it is yet to achieve the nuanced cooperative approach realised in Australia, with some arguing that Irish archaeology is more predisposed to simply writing histories (e.g. Orser 2010).

The most recent ‘Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland’ conference entitled ‘Disaster and Recovery’ explored the challenges posed to Irish archaeology in the last few years. Emigration, especially when enforced, is easily connected to the ‘disaster’ of recent unemployment, however could it also contribute to the green shoots of ‘recovery’? Will Irish archaeologists working abroad, in Australia or elsewhere, not only enrich our vocation with broadened professional horizons and new skill sets on their return? Ultimately it may be these skills which are significant in helping Irish archaeology meet its future challenges!

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Selected Bibliography Aitchison, K. 2009. After the ‘gold rush’: Global archaeology in 2009. World Archaeology, 41 (4). pp 659‐671.

Allen, H. 1987. Holocene mangroves and middens in northern Australia and south‐east Asia. Bulletin of the Indo‐Pacific Prehistory Association 7. pp 1‐16.

Allen, H. and Barton, G. 1989. Ngarradj Warde Djobkeng: White cockatoo dreaming and the prehistory of Kakadu. University of Sydney. Sydney.

Chaloupka, G. 1993. Journey in time: the world's longest continuing art tradition: the 50,000 year story of the Australian Aboriginal rock art of Arnhem Land. Reed. Sydney.

Condit, T. 2008. The Tiger’s Legacy. Archaeology Ireland 22 (4). pp 3.

David, B. Barker, B and McNiven, I. 2006. The Social Archaeology of Australian Indigenous Societies. Aboriginal Studies Press. Canberra.

David, B. Geneste, JM. et al. 2013. How old are Australia’s pictographs? A review of rock art dating. Journal of Archaeological Science (40). pp 3‐10.

Eogan, J. 2010. The impact of the recession on archaeology in the Republic of Ireland. In Schlanger, N & Aitchison, K. Archaeology and the Global Economic Crises: Multiple Impacts, Possible Solutions. Culture Lab Editions. Belgium. pp 19‐24.

Eogan, J. and O’ Sullivan, E. 2009. Archaeology and the demise of the ‘Celtic Tiger’. The Archaeologist (72). pp 26‐27.

Geneste, JM. David, B. et al. 2010. Earliest Evidence for Ground‐Edge Axes: 35,400±410 cal BP from Jawoyn Country, Arnhem Land. Australian Archaeology (71). pp 66‐69.

Geneste, JM. David, B. et al. 2012. The Origins of Ground‐edge Axes: New Findings from Nawarla Gabarnmang, Arnhem Land (Australia) and Global Implications for the Evolution of Fully Modern Humans. Cambridge Archaeological Journal 22 (1). pp 1‐17.

Hope, G., Hughes, P. et al. 1985. Geomorphological fieldwork and the evolution of the landscape of Kakadu National Park. In Jones, R. Archaeological Research in Kakadu National Park. Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service. Canberra . pp 229‐240.

Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland. 2009. A survey of unemployment levels in Irish Archaeology. Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland. Dublin. Unpublished technical report.

Jones, R. M. 1985. Archaeological Research in Kakadu National Park. Canberra. Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service. Canberra.

May, S. Gumurdul D. et al. 2005. You write it down and bring it back'... that's what we want'‐revisiting the 1948 removal of human remains from Kunbarlanja (Oenpelli), Australia. In Smith, C. and Wobst, M. Indigenous Archaeologies: Decolonising Theory and Practice. Routledge. London. pp 110‐130.

May, S. 2009. Collecting cultures: myth, politics, and collaboration in the 1948 Arnhem Land Expedition. Altamira Press. California McCarthy, F. and Setzler F. 1960. The Archaeology of Arnhem Land. Melbourne University Press. Melbourne.

McDermott, C. and La Piscopia, P. 2008. Discovering the Archaeologists of Europe: Ireland. A Report to the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland and the Heritage Council.

Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland. Dublin. Unpublished technical report.

Macknight, C. 1969. The Macassans: A study of the Early Trepang Industry along the Northern Territory Coast. Australian National University. Canberra.

McNiven, I. and Russell, L. 2005. Appropriated Pasts: Indigenous Peoples and the Colonial Culture of Archaeology. Altamira Press. Langham USA. Mulvaney, J. 2004. Paddy Cahill of Oenpelli. Aboriginal Studies Press. Canberra.

Mulvaney, D. J. and Kamminga, J. 1999. Prehistory of Australia. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington.

Orser, E. 2010. Encounters with Postcolonialism in Irish Archaeology. In Lydon, J. and Rizvi, U. The Handbook of Postcolonial Archaeology. Left Coast Press. Walnut Creek.

Roberts, R. Yoshida, H. et al. 1998. Single‐aliquot and single‐grain optical dating confirm thermoluminescence age estimates at Malakunanja II rock shelter in northern Australia. Ancient TL 16 (1). pp 19‐24.

Roberts, R. G. Jones, R. et al. 1990. Thermoluminescence dating of a 50,000‐year‐old human occupation site in northern Australia. Nature (345). pp 153‐156.

Roberts, R. G. Jones, R. et al. 2009. Optical dating at Deaf Adder Gorge, Northern Territory, indicates human occupation between 53,000 and 60,000 years ago. Australian Archaeology (37). pp 58‐59.

Schlanger, N and Aitchison, K. 2010. Archaeology and the Global Economic Crises: Multiple Impacts, Possible Solutions. Culture Lab Editions. Belgium.

Schrire, C. 1982. The Alligator Rivers: Prehistory and Ecology in Western Arnhem Land. Department of Prehistory, Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University. Canberra.

University College Dublin. 2006. Repositioning Irish Archaeology in the Knowledge Society. A Realistically Achievable Perspective. Heritage Council. Dublin.

Woodroffe, C. Chappell, D. et al. 1986. Geomorphological dynamics and the evolution of the South Alligator tidal river and plains. ANU Press. Canberra.

Note: For anyone seeking employment in Australia a good starting point is: www.aacai.com.au, www.australianarchaeologicalassociation.com.au and www.asha.org.au).

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Ulster Archaeological Society Lecture Series Lectures take place at 8pm in the Elmwood Building at Queen’s University, Belfast. For further details contact: Duncan Berryman, School of Geography, Archaeology & Palaeoecology, Queen's University Belfast.

Monday 25th February 2013 Michelle Comber (NUI Galway): Excavations in Caherconnell Townland, Co Clare ‐ searching for the Early Medieval, finding Neolithic to 17th Century AD Monday 25th March 2013 Mark Gardiner (QUB): Mapping Lost Worlds: A Survey of the Archaeological Landscape of the Antrim Plateau Monday 29th April 2013 Nick Maxwell (Wordwell): Archaeology Ireland: 25 Years, 100 Issues Monday 27th May 2013 Conor Brady (Dundalk IT): Old Questions and New Technologies, The Hill of Slane Archaeological Project

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Discovering the Archaeologists of Ireland within wider Europe Dr Kerri Cleary, Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland

Plate 1: Project Partners and representatives from York Archaeological Trust in the Mansion House with the Lord Mayor and Sheriff of York.

The Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland are delighted to be the Irish partner for Discovering the Archaeologists of Europe 2012–14 (DISCO II), a transnational project undertaken with the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Commission. This project aims to support close links between Vocational Education and Training (VET) and working life in archaeology in order to make VET more responsive to the labour market needs of both individuals and employers.

This will support the aims of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training, “ET 2020”, specifically contributing to the objectives of improving the quality and efficiency of education and training and of making lifelong learning and mobility a reality.

This project was preceded by Discovering the Archaeologists of Europe 2006–08 (DISCO I), which was developed in 2005 and included thirteen partners from twelve European countries; the United Kingdom; Cypress; Germany; Ireland; Slovenia; Austria; Belgium; Czech Republic; Greece; Netherlands; Slovakia and Hungry, as well as the European Association of Archaeologists. This formed a Transnational Network of organisations with the objective of improving our understanding of the requirements for, and capacity to provide, transparent qualifications for archaeologists across Europe. Within Ireland it was an opportunity to assess the state of the profession at the height of the ‘economic boom’, capturing a snapshot of the age, gender, nationality, qualification and contract-type of those working in the sector. The details of this fascinating period in Irish archaeology are available at www.discovering-archaeologists.eu/ The European Commission, suitably impressed by the contents of the project, stated that it was “encouraging for the future widening of the network across Europe”.

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Out of this positive feedback the current project was born, facilitating an expansion of the Transnational Network to incorporate

Italy,

Spain,

Portugal, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Latvia,

Estonia,

Norway,

Poland and Romania. The first partner meeting was held in York in November 2012, with our

hosts

and

project

coordinator,

York

Archaeological

Trust,

successfully

commencing

proceedings by providing key guidelines and opening the floor

to

discussions

on

all

aspects of the project. Not to Plate 2: Partner meeting getting underway at York Mansion House. mention

offering

wonderful

hospitality in the historic surroundings of the Mansion House and an opportunity to meet the Lord Mayor, Lady Mayoress, Sheriff and Sheriffs Lady.

All project partners will soon begin to collect, assess and share data on employment and VET, allowing the project to promote the integration of learning with working and thereby facilitate the relevant stakeholders to plan for the future, both at a national and European level. In addition, the Irish dataset will reflect the current state of the profession, identifying and addressing changes and impacts caused by the economic transformation of the last five years. Will the ‘young and educated’ workforce identified by DISCO I have significantly changed and will the importance of mobility and VET qualifications be identified as playing a key role in the future of our profession?

With cooperation from the profession we aim to answer these questions and more, building a foundation on which we can re-envision the profession and anticipate future challenges.

Plate 3: IAI representative, Kerri Cleary, speaking to Kenneth Aitchison (representative for UK partner, Landward Research Ltd.) and Andris Sne (representative for Latvian partner, Latvijas Universitate).

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CALL FOR PAPERS Spring Conference 2013 5th – 6th April, Dublin City (venue TBC)

'The Legacy of Development-led Archaeology' This conference will offer the opportunity to reflect on the legacy provided by development-led excavation and subsequent research. Development has been the driving force dominating Irish archaeology for the last twenty years and so it is important to assess the advantages and disadvantages it has brought and the lessons, if any, that we have learnt. Naturally, there are multiple questions we can ask ourselves about this legacy and the aim of this conference is to begin to address some of those questions:      



Have we adequately communicated our discoveries to one another, the public and the opinion formers/policy-makers?

Did we realise the potential of specialist scientific analyses in relation to environmental studies, 14C dating, geophysics, residue analysis, etc.?

What has been the impact on our distribution maps as representations of past activity versus representations of areas of modern development?

What contribution has this deluge of new data made to the identification of significant regional patterns?

How has the academic community dealt with the information generated – synthesis, indifference or panic; collaboration or appropriation?

What has been the impact on Irish archaeologists; have circumstances improved or disproved as a result of the ‘Celtic Tiger’ years and have our roles now changed?

Consequently, have our methodological and organisational approaches evolved and has this impacted archaeological practice in other countries?

Post-graduate Research Submissions are also open for 10-minute presentations on current and recently submitted post-graduate research, all topics welcome.

max. 300 word abstracts to Kerri.Cleary@gmail.com

by Monday, February 25th

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The Dead Beneath the Floors: The use of space for burial in the Dominican Blackfriary in Trim, Ireland Emma Lagan

INTRODUCTION Every time we walk across the floor of a church, it is unlikely that we are thinking about the bodies beneath it. But in areas with a medieval past chances are very likely that they are there. Sometimes, attention is drawn to them by way of a slab on the floor, a tomb in the wall, or the presence of a crypt beneath the church, but sometimes the presence of the resting dead is more subtle. As time goes on, the dead can be forgotten, leaving it to archaeology to rediscover the individuals who were buried beneath the church and attempt to reconstruct their history.

Such is the case with the burials at the Dominican priory in Trim, Co. Meath. In this paper, I examine the use of space for burial within the nave. The burials in question are not now marked with any of the identifiers listed above, leaving archaeology and historical research to locate them and try to determine the significance of their presence.

The results of this research are anticipated to be twofold. First, comparative data will be used to determine whether the burials fit into known patterns or not. A key point is to try to determine the origin of those buried in the Church: are they religious or laity, and if the latter, are they local townspeople? And if they were townspeople, can they be related to the community who lives there currently; a community which we are trying to keep involved and informed. Second, these results will allow us to choose areas of focus for next season and the seasons following, which will help us answer any questions that could not be resolved at this time.

UNDERSTANDING TRIM Located 40km to the northwest of Dublin, on the banks of the river Boyne, Trim has been described as a dual‐purpose town, serving both as “caput of a rich and extensive lordship and as a fortified market town with extensive mercantile connections and its own independent administration” (Potterton 2005:67). Although archaeological evidence shows that there was pre‐Norman activity ‐ including a monastery founded by St. Loman beneath the medieval St. Patrick’s Church ‐ it was established as an Anglo‐ Norman town in 1172 by Hugh de Lacy. During its peak, Trim was a major centre of activity. The town itself was walled, with five gates controlling traffic in and out of the city. A medieval bridge still spans the Boyne, connecting the two halves of the town. Other features of Trim included a mint within the castle, at least two fortified houses, a medieval suburb, a leper hospital (outside of the town walls), a frankhouse, guildhouse, water mill, three religious institutes, two religious houses, and the Cathedral in Newtown Trim, 2km to the east along the Boyne.

Map of Ireland showing location of Trim

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Of the three religious institutes ‐ Franciscan, Dominican, and Augustinian, only the Dominican house was located outside of the town walls. It is this house which is the focus of this paper. The Blackfriary, as it is now known, was founded in 1263 by the Lord of Trim at the time, Geoffrey de Geneville, who retired to the order in his later life. This particular institution was the seventeenth Dominican house established in Ireland, and the third largest overall.

Following the tradition of the order, it was located immediately outside of the town walls, near the Athboy gate on the north end of town. The friars at Trim held seventy‐two acres at the time of the dissolution, which were said to have contained the following features: a belfry, a chapter house, a dormitory, a hall, three chambers, a kitchen, a pantry, a stable, cloisters, gardens, an orchard, a cemetery (Potterton 2005).

During the height of its occupancy in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the Blackfriary was a site of importance, both generally for the town and for the ecclesiastical history of Ireland. Potterton (2005:354) notes that this, along with the Augustinian and Franciscan friars, “played a highly significant role in the medieval town, treating the sick, looking after the poor and attending to the spiritual needs of the townspeople.” Apart from these daily tasks, the Blackfriary in Trim held three meetings of the Dominican chapter, in the years 1285, 1300, and 1315.

Activities at the church declined, however, in the fifteenth century as Trim began to go through a period of economic loss, probably when other major cities such as Dublin increased as economic centers. Potterton (2005) notes that the decline continued at the friary over the following centuries. During the 1700s, the Blackfriary entered its ultimate descent into disrepair. Bishop Burke, writing in 1756, noted that “a few years before that the walls of the house and chapel gave evidence of their original magnificence” but on his return, he had found that “the stones were sold and carried away to other buildings, so that on visiting the place he found scarcely any ruins” (Conwell 1878:141).

By 1795, the ruins had been recorded as “a few remaining heaps of old wall…of a castle or some other building” (Potterton 2005:330). During the 1700s, there was a housing boom in Trim, and stones were sold and quarried from the derelict Blackfriary. In 1837 the OS map showed the location of the friary as a small section of ruins. The site remained unoccupied, and in 2005, Potterton (2005:330) recorded that “six small mounds of masonry are all that remain above ground of the original structure. One of the chunks of masonry incorporates what seems to be a rounded arch, and this may have been part of a spiral staircase.” This is how the site remained until the start of excavations in 2010.

UNEARTHING BONES Initial plans for excavation were formulated in 1988 by Professor William J. Kennedy of Florida Atlantic University.

Due to logistical reasons, excavations were not undertaken at this time, but a geophysical survey revealed structures beneath the surface. In 2008, resurfacing and drainage works exposed human remains along a back lane that abuts the Blackfriary site. This event led to the excavation of a circular well, four burials in various stages of completion, and disarticulated human remains (DHB). The excavated area, lying to the southwest corner of the Blackfriary site, is thought to be within the limits of the friary’s cemetery. The remains of 12 individuals were exposed, excavated, and recorded, but further research was not conducted on the site until the arrival of the Irish Archaeological Field School (IAFS) in 2010.

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Site layout showing location of the seven cuttings and grid G/H section

Over the course of three consecutive summers, IAFS excavated portions of the friary, mainly the areas thought to be the church nave and cloister. A variety of architectural fragments were uncovered ‐ including in situ walls, a collapsed supporting arch, limestone decorations, and decorated arches made of Purbeck marble (imported from Dorset in England) which lined the cloisters. These features, combined with imaging from the topographical survey conducted in 2010 give an indication of the size and layout of the friary. To date, the seven cuttings opened have exposed three of the four corners of the cloister, along with sections of what is suspected to be the north wall of the church.

Cutting 3 ‐ a 16m x 4m opening which runs north‐south from roughly the centre of the nave, across the line of the north wall, and over the cloister wall into the cloister garth ‐ revealed a large deposit of human remains in both the 2011 and 2012 field seasons. For the most part, human remains have been limited to this cutting, with a few minor exceptions of disarticulated remains. All of the burials uncovered to date, with one exception, have been located at a level beneath the destruction/tumble layer of the friary. In order to effectively determine any burial patterns, Cutting 3 was divided into eight sections labeled A‐H.

Grids A and B ‐ located at the southwestern section of the cutting ‐ were compositionally similar; both contained fully articulated burials with very minor instances of DHB. In total, six burials were located, three of which were fully articulated. All three articulated burials were juvenile/sub‐adults, likely no older than eighteen. Burial 12 was located within a distinct grave cut, and was anomalous in that the individual had a 25th vertebra which showed signs of lumbosacrilization. While this is the only instance of this deformity at the Blackfriary thus far, other Medieval graveyards have revealed similar skeletal remains. A coin dating to c.1495 located approximately 20 centimeters above Burial 24 provided a rough time estimate for the burials, suggesting that at least one burial was interred before 1495.

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Grids C, D, E, and F were located in the areas considered to be the ambulatory and cloister. Some disarticulated human bones were found in the ambulatory mixed with animal bones. The human bones found mostly belonged to infants or toddlers. Three burials have been excavated in the cloister ‐ two infants and a juvenile. Each of these three burials was located under several inches of earth with no rubble tumble on top.

Grids G and H ‐ located at the southeastern section of the cutting ‐ were compositionally similar to one another, but very different from Grids A and B, which they were separated from by only

Plan of Cutting 3 showing a section of Grids G/H.

50cm of soil and stone. This section of soil was originally thought to represent the “rood screen” of the church, but as it lies farther to the west, it is more likely that it represents either an original western wall of the nave, or an interior divide to a family crypt. These assumptions are based on the massive amounts of highly compact disarticulated human bones, in a layer approximately 50cm thick, which composed these two grids. Beneath these bones ‐ to which there was no apparent order of deposition ‐ fully articulated burials were discovered. These burials were both more frequent and diverse than burials in Grids A and B, containing a range of individuals from infants to adults. The large quantity of DHB above the fully articulated burials suggests a repeated reuse of this section that was not present in Grids A or B.

A further differentiation between Grids A/B and G/H is the presence of what appears to be a stone‐lined tomb containing one fully articulated skeleton (titled OSB3) beneath DHB. The tomb is thought to be built into the northern wall of the church, as the stones that form its northern border are continuous with a similar line of stones to the east. Both the northern and eastern borders of the tomb are intentionally placed, with the eastern border sitting at a right angle to the northern. During excavations, western and southern boundaries were not discovered, although the approximate location of the western boundary is in line with the possible divider/rood screen separating Grids A/B and G/H. As we are at the early stages of excavation it is not clear yet how many levels of burial occur in these areas.

Although few excavations have taken place on or in the 41 original Dominican Priories in Ireland, making Trim’s Blackfriary a unique data set, the burial patterns tend to generally correlate with those seen in the Dominican Priories of Guildford and Beverly, England. That being said, however, burial density at the Blackfriary, Trim, does appear to be greater than the two researched Friaries in England.

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Medieval Attitudes Towards Death So why did the townspeople bury their dead beneath the church in the first place? In practice, many of the attitudes towards death in Medieval Europe stemmed from Catholic Christian beliefs towards death. The Christian teachings ‐ which put death and heaven as the ultimate salvation and goal ‐ strongly influenced attitudes towards the body and soul. The Christian view of the afterlife held a “covenant” between the living and the dead ‐ the living, by praying for the souls of the dead, could help advance their way to salvation through Purgatory. Thus, the bodies of the dead were taken care of and treated with respect. Individuals wanted to make sure that both their physical bodies and their non‐physical souls were taken care of after they died, in the hope that they would be reunited at some point in the afterlife. This meant they were willing to pay a fee for the security of this promise. In a sense, death became marketable.

Even further, death became strategic. The position of an individual’s final interment had to be both one of humility (as was only Christian) and one of accessibility. Over time, it became a way to assert specific loyalties, for instance familial, territorial, or loyal. Where the body was placed said something important ‐ for familial ties, this meant that the body lay close to other members of the family, often seen in royal or wealthy families, as well as with monks.

Burial inside the churches began with saints, whose position within the church would help the laity in life. As time progressed, starting around the thirteenth century, the more privileged laity began being interred inside of the churches, just like the saints. Monastic and cathedral churches were the first to bury the privileged laity within their walls, once they realised that they benefited “materially from the possession of an influential church” (Binski 1996:57).

The highly compact DHB in Grid H, including two of the burials

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Further, Binski (1996:57) states that “burial was in effect tied up with various forms of endowment. As a result…an important and competitive economy grew up around bodies, extending that which had previously grown up around relics of saints.” Rodwell (2005) similarly notes that before the later medieval period, there were few graves dug placed within the church. Any graves that did exist “occupied the most favoured positions” within the chapel, as close to the altar as was possible (Rodwell 2005:174). Often, these burials, when excavated, show evidence of intercutting one another through various stages of usage; as the churches learned they could profit from charging wealthy parishioners for burial within their walls, they fueled the “business” of death, increasing the demand for high‐status church burials. This privilege had first been granted to the Benedictines, closely followed by the Cistercians in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and finally the Dominicans and Franciscans who dominated the burial “industry.” Originally, the Dominican General Chapter of 1250 in London made the decision that their churches were not to be used for burials, but according to Binski (1996:58), this “restriction was short lived: by the fourteenth century…the friars had become notoriously greedy in their pursuit of the bodies of the new urban elite.”

Thus, death in the medieval period became a cycle consisting of wealthy individuals who wanted to demonstrate their status by being buried within the church and churches who wanted status and money by having the bodies of wealthy individuals buried within their walls. Rodwell (2005:174) notes that prior to the eighteenth century, burial within the church was “a privilege enjoyed by the clergy and a few notable lay folk, mainly entry, but pressure for indoor burial subsequently became intense.” Eventually, merchants, farmers, physicians and many others ‐ whole families, including babies ‐ were able to buy their way into burial within the churches. Binski (1996:72) states that by the end of the Middle Ages “about one‐half of the dead sought burial in church.” In order to accommodate various wealth groups and still receive money, the churches charged for burials based on their location within the church. This meant that the “favoured” positions by the altar were more expensive, and those on the fringes cheaper. This is recorded in a witty epitaph from the time period, cited by Rodwell (1996:174): “Here lie I by the chancel door,/Here lie I because I’m poor./The further in, the more you’ll pay,/Here lie I, as warm as they.”

During the course of burial, it was not uncommon to disturb a burial already occupying that space, especially since earlier burials were not typically interred within a coffin. Binski (1996:55) notes that “once a body had been buried and had decomposed to the point of defleshing, it was normal to exhume it and to store the bones in a charnel house.”

Paul Byrne (2006) suggests that the charnel vault itself was sometimes located beneath the church, much like the burials. Rodwell (2005) remarks that investigations can sometimes reveal half‐a‐dozen interments in one spot. It was commonplace enough during this time period, Rodwell notes, that Shakespeare made an indirect reference to it in Hamlet, as Hamlet holds up a skull and exclaims, “Alas, poor Yorick—I knew him, Horatio” (Hamlet Act V, Scene I). In these instances, the disarticulated bones—which can comprise up to 50% of the archaeological record (Rodwell 2005)—were often placed on top of the fresh burial, thus establishing a cyclical burial pattern.

The Bones at the Priory So who were the people buried at our Friary? And why were they buried in such a differentiated manner? Poulton and Woods (1984) state that burials within the church at the Dominican priory of Guildford would have been more desirable than burials in the cemetery. According to Binski (1996), these practices would have started in the 1300s, a little after the time of the foundation of the Blackfriary, and would have been reserved for the more privileged IAR Digital Magazine Issue 5

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Burial OSB3, the tomb burial, in situ

laity. Over time, as burials within the church became slightly more common, status was indicated through the location within the church, use of coffins, and tombs. This being said, it is likely that any of the burials within the friary indicate some form of wealth on the part of the deceased, or their family, or membership within the friary. The burials within Cutting 3 are likely to have been located at least ten meters from the altar area. Does this mean that they were less wealthy than other members of the community? Unfortunately, we do not yet have any indication of the exact location of the altar, let alone burials surrounding the area. Perhaps with further excavations, we will be able to answer this question.

Possible evidence for wooden coffins has been found in the form of nails located in a similar context as burials. It is possible that these burials could represent wealthier individuals who were able to obtain a coffin. So far, no lead coffins have been found, although other priories, both Dominican and other, have been known to contain such burials. It is possible that these may not have been available, affordable, or practical for residents of Trim. It is also possible that further excavations may reveal such coffins.

The burial of OSB3 was clearly within a stone lined tomb. Based on the location of the tomb in regards to other architectural remains, it is thought that this tomb was cut into the wall of the church. The stones making up the northern boundary of the tomb are therefore in part, the original wall of the church, whereas the stones forming the eastern boundary of the tomb would have been inserted specifically to line the tomb itself. This burial is very likely to have belonged to a wealthy individual, perhaps a founder or benefactor of the church itself (Geoffrey de Geneville?) or even a higher member of the Dominican order in Trim. No grave goods were found in association with this burial, so the assumption of wealth is based solely on the tomb type.

Another intriguing burial to discuss in regards to status is Burial 12. Located in Grid A, this burial represents an individual who would have clearly been disabled to some extent in life, evidenced by the presence of a 25th vertebrae, slight deformation of the cervical vertebrae and disproportioned femur length. The individual was a sub‐adult, and cause of death was unknown. The Cleaning a skull from Trim

deformity suffered by the individual would certainly have required care. The fact that the individual was able to be

interred within the church suggests that his or her caretaker (be it family or potentially the friary?) was able to afford to both care for the individual in life as well as secure a position of status for him or her in death. Perhaps this was one of the monks of the priory itself.

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Indication of status is present in the data set available, although only in generalisations. Clearly the individuals buried within the church had enough money to be placed there, but there is no other information about them. Does the “charnel pit” making up most of Grids G/H represent a family tomb where multiple members of the same wealthy family were interred over time? Unfortunately, there are no surviving floor tiles, stone slabs or grave markers in this area to give us any indication of this possibility.

Future Directions: It is intended to continue excavations at the Blackfriary so that the full layout of the friary can be understood and significant elements revealed. Further research will be conducted regarding the burials and their significance. As the site is in the ownership of the local authority, Trim Town Council, a key aim is the involvement of the local community. Hopefully over time, what was seen as a derelict space will become a heritage site, with room for community spaces, (gardens, play spaces) alongside the footprint of the friary buildings. This summer’s season is scheduled to run from May 20th until August 23, 2013. Anyone is welcome to join us in this excavation, no matter their level of experience! For more information, go to: www.iafs.ie

One of our supervisors, Kirsten, planning Burial 12 (the one with an extra vertebrae) with the skull of Burial 24 just visible in the background

Bibliography: Binski, Paul. (1996). Medieval Death. Cornell University Press, Ithaca.

Byrne, Joseph Patrick. (2006). Daily Life During the Black Death. Greenwood Press, p.85‐113.

Conwell, Eugene Alfred. (1878) A Ramble Around Trim. Dublin.

Mandal, Stephen and O’Carroll, Finola (2011) A New Model for Site Preservation and Archaeological Practice. AIA Site Preservation Program. http://www.archaeological.org/projects/blackfriaryireland Potterton, Michael. (2005) Medieval Trim. Four Courts Press, Dublin.

Poulton, Rob and Woods, Humphrey. (1984). Excavations on the Site of the Dominican Friary at Guildford in 1974 and 1978. Surrey Archaeological Society, Guildford.

Rodwell, Warwick. (2005) The Archaeology of Churches. Tempus Publishing Limited, Glouchestershire.

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CHAT: Cultural Heritage Amenity Town

The Blackfriary site is a pilot site for a new preservation concept—the CHAT model. Born in 2011, this model strives to incorporate culture and tourism to a whole new educational level. The CHAT model focuses not only on “outsider” tourists, but it targets the members of the immediately affected community, hoping to get them involved with their past in a fun, hands‐on, educational manner. The Blackfriary is an ideal pilot site for this model because of its location immediately behind the Supervalu in Trim. Surrounded on all sides by houses, we encourage visitors to come and view the goings‐on, bringing with them whatever questions they may have, and memories of the site as it may have been when they were a child! Our long term goal is to transform the site into more than just archaeological remains, including a children’s playground, market, café, and memorial wall.

(Mandal and O’Carroll 2011)

http://iafs.ie/ The Irish Archaeology Field School Public archaeology, research, education and training in Ireland Call +353 1 2968190 or email: info@iafs.ie

http://culturaltourismireland.ie/ Cultural Tourism Ireland Bespoke archaeology and cultural heritage travel learning experiences Call +353 1 2968190 or email:enquiries@culturaltourismireland.ie

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NIEA Lunchtime Lectures Northern Ireland Environment Agency 2013 programme of public lectures in the Monuments and Buildings Record (MBR). The lectures will take place in the public reading room of Waterman House, 5‐33 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LA.

Information: 028 9054 3159 or email: hmenquiries@doeni.gov.uk.

Admission is free. All welcome. Space is limited at these talks, so please come early to avoid disappointment.

Friday 1st March: Colin Hatrick, Architect A Tale of Stained Glass featuring The Clokey Studios and Supporting Cast.

Friday 5th April: Rory McNeary, Centre for Maritime Archaeology Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS‐LiDAR) for Cultural Heritage Management.

Friday 3rd May: Andrew McClelland, University of Ulster Crisis and the Northern Ireland Heritage Revolution of the 1960s.

Friday 7th June: Ruairi O’Baoill, Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork The Archaeology of Derry City and its Environs.

Friday 5th July: Jonathan Barkley an Colin Dunlop, Northern Archaeological Consultancy Enigmatic Structures on the A8 Road Scheme.

Friday 2nd August: Dr Geraldine Carville, Historian and Author Secrets of Cistercian Music in Ireland 1142‐1541: Cistercian Abbey Churches Where the Very Stones Sing the Psalms.

Friday 20th September 1pm: LiamMcQuillan, NIEA Consolidating Ruins: Some recent projects on Scheduled Masonry Monuments.

Friday 20th September 6pm: Terence Reeves‐Smyth, NIEA The Flowering Legacy: The Parks and Gardens of the National Trust in Northern Ireland.

Friday 4th October: Cormac McSparron, Centre For Archaeological Fieldwork “…and they won land among the Picts by friendly treaty or the sword” new thought from archaeology on Dál Riadic migrations to Scotland.

Friday 1st November: Malachy Conway, National Trust Title to be confirmed.

Friday 6th December: Prof Audrey Horning, Queens University Belfast Ireland in the Virginian Sea: Comparative Archaeology of Early Modern Atlantic Expansion

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A Very Big House In The Country – Preliminary results of excavations on the A8 Belfast to Larne Dual Carriageway Jonathan Barkley, Northern Archaeological Consultancy Ltd

The A8 is one of the five Key Transport Corridors identified in the Regional Development Strategy and the Regional Transportation Strategy for Northern Ireland. The Department for Regional Development has been carrying out improvement works that will involve the realignment and upgrading to Dual 2 Lane All Purpose (D2AP) carriageway of the A8 between Coleman’s Corner and Ballyrickard Road. This upgrade of approximately 14.5km of the A8 between Belfast and Larne as a partially on-line / partially off-line high quality dual carriageway, with associated hard strips; and will incorporate a number of grade separated junctions and the provision of a central median safety barrier. Work will include the provision of five grade separated junctions, and the construction of 9 bridges and one underpass along the line of the proposed scheme.

Prior to the commencement of the road works in August 2012 Northern Archaeological Consultancy Ltd (NAC) were subcontracted by Lagan Ferrovial Costain (LFC) JV to carry out test trenching in advance of the upgrading of the A8 Road (Figure 1). Several areas of archaeology were identified, with main area of interest being a number of prehistoric houses uncovered between the A8 road and the Templepatrick Road.

A total of four structures were identified within the site (Figure 2), three complete and only the edge of the fourth encroaching onto the area of the road take. This brief article outlines the preliminary results of the on-going work.

Structure 1 Currently it appears that this structure may actually comprise at least two phases of construction:

Structure 1A – a large sub-circular house consisting of an exterior wall 15m by 14m, constructed

using over 70 stakes and an entrance

represented by four linear slots and a large area of metalled surface.

The roof would have been supported by a ring of eleven large posts; each would have been placed in a deep, stone packed post hole.

A

large shallow pit in the centre of the structure may be all that remains of a hearthstone. Within the ring of supporting posts, and surrounding the possible hearth, were over 300 stakeholes.

Figure 1: Location Map

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Figure 2: Post-excavation plan of Structures 1, 2, 3 & 4.

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Plate 1: Structure 1

Structure 1B – a slightly smaller house that appears to have been all but destroyed by Structure 1A. Currently the only features that can be positively assigned to this phase of construction are the curving linear slot trench and the two large pits. Given the plethora of internal features it is assumed that it will be possible to attribute further features to this phase of construction as post excavation work continues.

Structure 2 A second smaller structure located on the western edge of Structure 1. Defined by two curving gullies enclosing an area approximately 10.50m in diameter, the main form of the structure is defined by a series of over 50 stakeholes creating a structure 5.50m in diameter. Structure 2 is notable for containing several large pits, some containing large quantities of burning.

Plate 2: Structure 2

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Plate 3: Structure 3

Structure 3 A circular structure 9m in diameter, consisting of six linear slots and 6m diameter ring of seven postholes.

This structure overlaps with the western edge of Structure 2 implying that the two are not contemporary.

Structure 4 A small section of curving gully that only just encroached onto the site. The fill of the gully was similar to that of the gully of Structure 1B. Dates Radiocarbon dates and specialist reports into the pottery and flint work are still being compiled and until that stage dates for the four structures can not be definitively assigned. Stylistically Structure 3 appears to be similar to Bronze Age houses found on other excavations. Structures 1 and 2 are more complex, their construction styles, and in the case of Structure 1A its size, not fitting comfortably with local prehistoric house types. The pottery that could be positively identified appeared to be span from the Early Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age. Conclusions A lot of work remains to be done on the structures uncovered at Ballynure, Co. Antrim. Further work is required to separate the various phasing of Structure 1 and their relationships with Structures 2 and 3.

Once radiocarbon dates and specialist reports have been returned a further article will update readers of what appears to be an interesting prehistoric occupation site.

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Plate 1: Kids on road scheme

Community Outreach on the Road Schools Visit Archaeology site on the A8 Road Scheme Lianne Heaney, Irish Archaeological Research Following on from the previous article by Johnny Barkley of NAC we thought it appropriate to discuss the outreach work that has taken place on the archaeological site on the A8 road scheme. The archaeology found to date along part of the road is very exciting and as it’s a public works project it proved a very rare opportunity for members of the public to visit a working excavation site and talk to the archaeologists first hand.

All the major bodies involved in this project, DRD Roads Service, Arup, Lagan Ferrovial Costain (LFC), NIEA and NAC, were very keen to let the local people and in particular schools about this great new site that had just been uncovered and that no one has seen in over 3000 years. Therefore with the help of Jenny Caldwell, Heritage Officer for Larne Borough Council and Aidan Kearney (LFC), schools from across the Larne council area were invited to an open day at the site on Wednesday 5th December 2012. Conveniently several members of IAR were working on the excavation site, so with the permission of the NAC management we set up the Open Air Museum for the open day.

Plate 2: Kid on the ‘viewing platform’

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The

excavation

site

was

accessed

through a vey muddy field, therefore in order to make the site safe and easily accessible for kids, LFC created a special pathway that was fenced off and even had a viewing platform so the kids could get a better view of the site from a height (Plates 1 & 2). The kids were not allowed on the excavation site for obvious reasons and the postholes which made up the house structures were very hard to see from the viewing mound, so we decided to put bamboo sticks in each outer posthole (Plate 3).

This allowed

everyone to get an idea of were each posthole was and to get an idea of the

Plate 3: Bamboo sticks inside the postholes to indicate size & shape of structures

size and shape of the structures.

Each school received a guided tour of the site from Project Archaeologist, Colin Dunlop, who explained how the archaeology was found and what the structures would have been, there were very animated discussions from the kids when they learned there would have been no indoor plumbing in these structures and that the in all possibility livestock may have shared part of the space at night!

Plate 4: IAR Open Air Museum at the A8 school open day

As well as the site tours the schools were treated to a display in the Open

Air Museum (Plate 4) of the artefacts found on the excavation, Johnny Barkley, the NAC Site Director, discussed how the artefacts were found and how they would have been used (Plate 5). And then the kids got to see first hand how these artefacts would have been originally made. Ross Bailey (IAR) described how the site occupants would have created arrowheads, axes and knives for everyday use by flint knapping. Gavin Donaghy (IAR) talked about the making and decoration of prehistoric pottery; the kids were even able to have a go at decorating clay using the same techniques used by our prehistoric ancestors (Plate 6).

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Over 130 Key Stage 2 children visited the excavation site and participated in the open air museum workshops, teachers and kids alike said they enjoyed the visit and it was great to be able to visit such an important archaeological site right on their door step especially as they either had or would be learning about prehistoric society in school. The kids were able to get hands on experience with the artefacts methods of making pottery and flint tools and actually see a prehistoric house up close.

For a relatively inexpensive amount of money we (everyone involved in the road scheme from government through to contractor to archaeologist) were able to demonstrate how progress and new construction can help us uncover the settlement sites of our prehistoric ancestors, sites that no one knew were there, we can record them, learn about them and Plate 5: Site Director Johnny Barkley talking about the types of artefacts found on site

ultimately share them with the rest of society. Hopefully this will not be the last time such open days can take place on

recently excavated archaeological sites, they definitely creates a feel good factor for everyone involved and as archaeologists we really enjoy getting to show and tell people about the interesting things we find on site.

I’d like to thank DRD Roads Service, Arup, LFC (in particular Aidan, Stevie, Ryan, Andres and Ken) and NAC for letting us come along to the site to share the information they uncovered during the archaeological excavation with the local schools.

Plate 6: Pottery decoration workshop with Gavin Donaghy

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Living legacy: archaeology and the early modern town

Irish Post‐Medieval Archaeology Group & The Society for Post‐Medieval Archaeology

Verbal Arts Centre

Derry‐Londonderry 22‐25 February 2013

The year 2013 sees the City of Derry‐Londonderry marking its status as the UK City of Culture. As part of the celebrations, the Society for Post‐Medieval Archaeology and the Irish Post‐Medieval Archaeology Group are hosting a joint conference at the Verbal Arts Centre within the historic walls of the City. The conference is intended to situate the 1613 granting of the City’s town charter within its broader historical context, while also considering the ways in which the early modern urban fabric continues to shape contemporary lives. The conference will feature a SUNDAY 24 FEBRUARY Verbal Arts Centre series of public workshops, a guided tour of the City Session Two: Life in Towns Part 1 walls, field trips to nearby archaeological sites, and an 9.30am Colin Rynne Urban forms and the commonwealth academic paper programme, addressing aspects of the on Richard Boyle’s Munster estates evolution, character, and continuing legacy of sixteenth‐ 10.00am Mairtin D’Alton Londonderry in the Midlands through eighteenth‐century urbanisation within and well 10.30am Tracy Collins Limerick: A Tale of Three Cities 11.00am Coffee beyond Ireland and Britain.

11.30am Brent Fortenberry St George’s: Atlantic town on the edge of collapse FRIDAY 22 FEBRUARY Verbal Arts Centre 12.00pm Kieran McCarthy: Venice of the North: Workshops (2‐5pm) Constructing Memory & Landscape in an 18C Irish City Archaeology in the classroom (Mary Sleeman) 12.30pm Discussion Buildings and how to read them (Chris King) 1.00pm Lunch Learn your pottery (Nick Brannon)

Session Two: Life in Towns Part 2 Evening Civic Reception, Tower Museum 2.00pm Brooklynn Fothergill: Providing ‘Pullen’ to the 5:30pm Welcome from the Societies Public: Poulterers in post‐medieval cities 5:45pm Keynote Address: Ruairí Ó Baoill, 2.30pm Gavin Hughes: 'Walking the streets of Strabane The Post‐Medieval Archaeology of Derry/Londonderry and lounging in the Mess room...'

6:45pm Wine Reception Irish towns and the United Irish campaign of 1798: military influences on social transitions 3.00pm Harold Mytum: From burial crisis to body SATURDAY 23 FEBRUARY Verbal Arts Centre snatching 8.30am Registration 3.30pm Discussion 8.55am Welcome

Session Three: Early modern towns in the present Session One: Emerging Urbanism 4.00pm Franc Myles: Oh yous are all nicely shanghaied 9:00am Audrey Horning If you build it, will they come? now! Moore Street, Dublin: the archaeology of urban Exploring the early modern town conflict from the Easter Rising to the aftermath of the 9:30am Philip Macdonald What came before: Finding Crash medieval Belfast 4.30pm Emma Dwyer: Living in the Past? Contemporary 10:00am Deirdre O’Sullivan Brimful of Ashlar? Old place life in 19th and 20th‐century Housing and new spaces in 16C England 5.00pm James Dixon: Public Art and Early Modern Towns 10:30am Coffee break 5.30pm Discussion 11:00am Paul Logue Dunnalong, Dowcra, and Derry 6:30pm IPMAG AGM (Tower Hotel) 11.30am Brendan Scott The port of Londonderry 12:00pm Nick Brannon Phoenix from the Flames: the MONDAY 25 FEBRUARY: Coach tour of selected post‐ archaeology of Coleraine medieval sites in the Derry/Londonderry vicinity: 12.30pm Discussion Culmore, Dunnalong, Mountcastle, Dungiven, Roe Valley, 1:00pm Lunch Magilligan Martello tower, Walworth.

Afternoon Field Trips: Museum of Free Derry; St Columb’s Cathedral; Walking tour of the City Walls Evening wine reception and Conference dinner, Custom House IAR Digital Magazine Issue 5

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To book a place at the conference follow this link:

http://www.science.ulster.ac.uk/crg/ipmag/ 30

Our next issue will be Issue 6 Spring 2013, released in May 2013, as always we welcome article submissions on all things related to Irish Archaeology. email queries or articles for consideration to: magazine@irisharchaeologicalresearch.com

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