Amplify Archaeology Podcast

By Neil JackmanSociety & Culture Science Social Sciences History Places & Travel

Amplify Archaeology Podcast episodes

October 03, 2022Farming Rathcroghan – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 33
Farming Rathcroghan
Discover this innovative project in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 33
Farming Rathcroghan
Discover this innovative project in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 33
In this episode, Neil travels to one of Ireland’s most significant archaeological landscapes, Rathcroghan, to discover an important and innovative project that is helping farmers to protect the archaeology on their land.
In this episode of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast, Neil had the opportunity to visit the great royal site of Rathcroghan in County Roscommon to chat with Dr Daniel Curley who tells us all about his experience managing Rathcroghan Visitor Centre and how they engage people with the complex story of Rathcroghan’s archaeological and mythological landscapes. We also discuss the important Farming Rathcroghan EIP project with Dr Petra Kock Appelgren. The project seeks to manage the Rathcroghan farming landscape in a sustainable way with a focus on the delivery of good archaeological condition. While local farmer and project participant Gerard Healy tells us of his experiences and how the project has been transformative for him.
The project is recorded in the shadow of the great mound at Rathcroghan, so there may be a little ambient noise from time to time. It’s not the wind, just the ghost of Queen Medb trying to get in for a chat. I hope you enjoy the episode!
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: Farming Rathcroghan
Duration: 42 mins.
Summary:
In this fascinating discussion with Dr Daniel Curley, Dr Petra Kock Applegren and Gerard Healy we hear all about an important new project that encourages sustainable farming and heritage management
Farming Rathcroghan – Key Discussion Points
Daniel introduces Rathcroghan and why it is such an important place – 0 min 52 secs
Daniel tells us about the Rathcroghan Visitor Centre – 2 min 31 secs
Daniel discusses the balance between archaeology and mythology at a place like Rathcroghan – 4 min 00 secs
Daniel tells us about the Community Archaeology Conferences held at Rathcroghan – 6 min 57 secs
Daniel explains how new research and discoveries are incorporated into the Visitor Centre – 9 min 37 secs
Daniel discusses how COVID and the cost of living crisis has affected the Visitor Centre – 12 min 08 secs
Daniel describes what he’d like to see for the future for Rathcroghan – 14 min 24 secs
Daniel explains how visitors can enjoy Rathcroghan today – 16 min 34 secs
Petra introduces the Farming Rathcroghan EIP Project – 19 min 38 secs
Petra discusses the interest from farmers in the scheme – 23 mins 04 secs
Petra outlines the benefits for the farmers – 23 min 57 secs
Petra discusses the main challenges and threats posed to archaeology by farming – 26 min 09 secs
Petra suggests what she’d like to see for the future of the project – 28 mins 16 secs
Gerard describes his background and relationship to the land – 29 min 44 secs
Gerard discusses the type of farming in the Rathcroghan landscape – 30 mins 20 secs
Gerard tells us of the local stories about the monuments – 30 min 50 secs
Gerard describes how the closure of local schools and the planning pressures have impacted people’s relationship with the landscape – 31 min 45 secs
Gerard tells us about the conflict between archaeology and farming – 33 min 02 secs
Gerard describes his experience with Farming Rathcroghan EIP and how it has led to better outcomes all round – 34 min 16 secs
Gerard discusses the positivity brought by the project – 37 min 02 secs
Show notes and links to further information
Farming Rathcroghan is a European Innovation Partnership (EIP) funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. You can discover more about the Farming Rathcroghan EIP on their dedicated website here.
If you’d like to explore Rathcroghan be sure to visit their website first here.
You can find a virtual tour of the landscape there, it’s well worth exploring here!
The Rathcroghan Community Archaeology Conference 2022: Above and Below is on in November. Book your ticket here.
They also have a great shop full of very tempting books, with the proceeds going towards supporting the Visitor Centre. Shop here.
If you enjoyed this episode you might also like the episode at Beaubec where we visited the ongoing excavations there, it included discussions with the landowners who also described their relationship with archaeology. You’ll find that here.
Please do take a moment to rate or review us on your favourite podcast platforms, it helps us to be found and it lets me know that people enjoy the show.
If you’d like to dig deeper into the stories of Ireland you’ll love our new membership service Tuatha. Online courses, places to visit, itineraries for great days out and more! Sign up here.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast is also available on
Dig into more stories with Amplify Archaeology Podcast
Episode 30 with the excavation team
Digging Dún Áilinne
Amplify Archaeology
Geraldine & Matthew Stout and Excavation Team
Excavations at Beaubec
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 8 with Dr. Patrick Gleeson
Excavations at the Rock of Cashel
Amplify Archaeology
We'd love it if you'd consider sharing this episode with a friend
The post Farming Rathcroghan – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 33 appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
42 min
September 01, 2022Archaeological Storytelling – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 32
Archaeological Storytelling
Let’s weave a story in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 32 with Paul Duffy
Archaeological Storytelling
Let’s weave a story in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 32 with Paul Duffy
Fadó fadó. Once upon a time…. all the best stories start like that. But how do you go about weaving together a compelling narrative with historical and archaeological evidence? In this episode Neil is joined by Paul Duffy to discuss archaeological storytelling.
One of the most important and rewarding aspects of our work at Abarta Heritage is to try to tell the story of Ireland’s past in accessible and exciting ways, and in this episode of Amplify Archaeology Podcast, I had the opportunity to talk with a real master at this – Paul Duffy.
Paul is an experienced archaeologist and has directed numerous landmark excavations in Dublin as well as leading projects in Australia, France and the United Kingdom. He has published and lectured widely on this work, and his books include From Carrickfergus to Carcassonne—the Epic Deeds of Hugh de Lacy
during the Cathar Crusade (2018) and Ireland and the Crusades (2021). Paul has brought all of his insights and understandings of medieval Ireland to bear in his compelling new book Run with the Hare, Hunt with the Hound.
The book begins on a remote Gaelic farmstead in medieval Ireland, when word reaches Alberic of conquering Norman knights arriving from England. Oppressed by the social order that enslaved his Norman father, he yearns for the reckoning he believes the invaders will bring—but his world is about to burn. Captured by the Norman knight Hugo de Lacy and installed at Dublin Castle as a translator, Alberic’s confused loyalties are tested at every turn. When de Lacy marches inland, Alberic is set on a collision course with his former masters amidst rumours of a great Gaelic army rising in the west. Can Alberic navigate safely through revenge, lust and betrayal to find his place amidst the birth of a kingdom in a land of war?
Paul and I have a wide-ranging discussion that flows from the latest archaeological discoveries in Dublin to how to develop a character-driven story that balances evidence and narrative. I hope you enjoy the episode!
* as usual, this episode was recorded over Zoom, so please forgive any little audio wobbles.
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: Archaeological Storytelling
Duration: 45 mins.
Summary:
In this fascinating discussion with Paul Duffy, we discuss how to combine archaeological evidence with storytelling to illustrate life in the past.
Archaeological Storytelling – Key Discussion Points
Paul’s view of Dublin based on his experience excavating around the city – 1 min 18 secs
How has our perspective of Dublin’s medieval past changed through the recent excavations? – 3 min 12 secs
Pre-Viking Dublin and the early settlement – 9 min 00 secs
Using archaeological and historical evidence to inform a fictional narrative – 12 min 24 secs
Why did Paul choose to set his story in the late 12th century? – 19 min 00 secs
How much can you trust primary sources like Giraldus Cambrensis or draw influence from their style? – 21 min 48 secs
Paul’s choice to centre his story on a slave rather than a warlord or elite member of society – 26 min 24 secs
The balance and dance between complete accuracy and storytelling – 33 min 00 secs
Will Alberic’s story continue? – 37 min 33 secs
The importance of archaeological storytelling – 38 mins 51 secs
Show notes and links to further information
You can find Paul’s website here.
I can’t recommend his book Run with the Hare, Hunt with the Hound highly enough, it really helps you to picture what life was like in the tumultuous days of the Norman invasion. You can read a short review here.
If you’re in the US you can preorder a copy direct from the publisher Cynren Press.
If you’re in Ireland (or the UK or the rest of Europe) you can preorder from Book Depository.
Paul also has another book out this month – as he is co-author of Ireland and the Crusades.
Some of the images on this episode page feature the great Dave Swift of Claoimh. Check out Dave’s fantastic work here.
At Abarta we’ve also tried our hand at writing fictional accounts based on archaeological evidence. Most relevant to this is our audiobook Meitheal, a series of interwoven tales from early medieval Ireland. You can hear that free here.
Or our audiobook The Unsilent Stones where you can meet the residents of Athlone’s Abbey Graveyard. From 8th century kings to tavern keepers. You can find that here.
Paul recently gave a great lecture as part of our Tuatha Talk webinar series. Our members can watch that back here.
If you’d like to delve deeper into the stories of Ireland, with articles on places to visit, itineraries for days out, online courses and more – you might enjoy joining Tuatha. You can find us here.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast is also available on
Dig into more stories with Amplify Archaeology Podcast
Episode 31 with Dr Steve Davis
Archaeological Insect Analysis
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 29 with Dr Rebecca Boyd
Viking Age Ireland
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 27 with Dr. Karen Dempsey
Relict Plants & Medieval Women
Amplify Archaeology
We'd love it if you'd consider sharing this episode with a friend
The post Archaeological Storytelling – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 32 appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
45 min
August 01, 2022A Bugs AfterLife Archaeological Insect Analysis – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 31
A Bug’s AfterLife – Archaeological Insect Analysis
Discover what insects can tell us about life in the past in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 31 with Dr Steve Davis
A Bug’s AfterLife – Archaeological Insect Analysis
Discover what insects can tell us about life in the past in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 31 with Dr Steve Davis
The archaeological study of insects, or archaeoentomology, can provide vital evidence about past environments, food, health and living conditions.
Though our homes today has become somewhat sanitised relative to the past, we still share our lives with other species, especially insects. Archaeoentomology is the study of insect remains on sites of archaeological interest. The analysis of insects from archaeological contexts can be an important lens with which to view the past. The can reveal big picture questions about the local environment. They can tell us about trade and agriculture. And reveal insights into hygiene both in the house and of the individuals themselves. They can also tell us about diet and health, and in some cases, funeral practices.
The study of insects is most powerful when combined with other forms of environmental analysis, and it can create a deeply intimate (perhaps too intimate) understanding of people in the past. In this episode of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast, Neil had a chat with Dr. Steve Davis of the School of Archaeology, University College Dublin. Steve tells us of what kind of evidence insect analysis can provide and the background to this expert sub-discipline. This is a fascinating discussion and I hope you enjoy the episode, but perhaps not one to listen to while you’re having your dinner!
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: A Bug’s AfterLife – Archaeological Insect Analysis
Duration: 53 mins.
Summary:
In this fascinating discussion with Dr Steve Davis, we discuss insect analysis and how it can reveal key evidence about life in the past
A Bug’s AfterLife; Archaeological Insect Analysis – Key Discussion Points
How do you find archaeological insects, do they preserve well? – 1 min 10 secs
What are the ideal sort of contexts to find insects in? – 2 min 39 secs
What sort of information can insects reveal about the past? – 5 min 30 secs
What can insects reveal about big events like pandemics? – 9 min 43 secs
Can insects tell us more about things like farming, industrial processes or trade? – 12 min 15 secs
Living with insects – 15 min 10 secs
What can insects tell us about the differences between living in an urban or rural setting – 16 min 15 secs
The Joy of Cess – 21 min 52 secs
Body lice and fleas – 22 mins 42 secs
What species of insect does Steve love to discover when he is examining a sample – 24 min 15 secs
Insects in the house – 26 min 55 secs
The origins of archaeological insect studies and the work of Dr. Eileen Reilly – 28 mins 41 secs
The challenges posed to archaeoentomology – 33 min 42 secs
How did Steve get into the study of insects – 36 mins 35 secs
How is Ireland faring with archaeological insect studies, is there more that can be done? – 39 min 38 secs
Is there a danger of ‘period bias’ when it comes to what we sample and analyse – 43 min 39 secs
Should archaeologists start sampling more for insect analysis? – 47 min 10 secs
Show notes and links to further information
Thanks to Steve and Eva Kourela for kindly providing the images used on this page.
Dr Eileen Reilly who sadly passed in 2018, has had an incredible legacy on environmental archaeology in Ireland and elsewhere. I was fortunate to work briefly with Eileen during the analysis of the Mill at Kilbegly back in 2007, and her insights were so important in developing our understanding. She was as wonderful a person as she was an archaeologist and researcher. Eileen’s work features prominently in the excellent recent publication Between the Meadows, that describes the excavation and analysis of a remarkable series of preserved trackways in the wetlands of Edercloon near Longford.
Another important aspect of Eileen’s work was her research on Viking and Medieval Dublin. Encapsulated in this paper: The contribution of insect remains to an understanding of the environment of Viking-age and Medieval Dublin
And this paper in Quaternary International: From Christchurch Place to Fishamble Street: Developments inarchaeoentomology in Dublin, Ireland, since 1981 (hosted on Academia.edu but there is no need to create an account, you can access the full article by scrolling down rather than trying to download).
Part of Steve’s research was to examine what insects can reveal about prehistoric burnt mounds. You can read his paper here: The Environmental Context and Function of Burnt-Mounds: New Studies of Irish Fulachtaí Fiadh
Deer Park Farms featured prominently in the discussion, and you can read about what the insect evidence reveals about that important site here: Environment, activity and living conditions at Deer Park Farms: evidence from plant and invertebrate remains. (Hosted on Academia.edu but there is no need to create an account, you can access the full article by scrolling down rather than trying to download).
If you’d like to read the paper on that remarkably dedicated project by Prof. Peter Osborne you can do so here: An insect fauna from a modern cesspit and its comparison with probable cesspit assemblages from archaeological sites.
And this was built on in this paper by Dr Katherine Grove: Discerning beetles, an entomo-archaeological study of coleopteran faunas in relation to place and time.
Or Dr David Smith’s paper: Pondering Privies: Construction, Use, Reuse, and Other Speculations About Cesspits in the Archaeological Record.
The importance of environmental archaeology was also discussed in the episode on Wetland Archaeology.
Please do leave us a review if you can, or share the episode using the podcast #AmplifyArchaeology – it really does help us out so I’d be very grateful.
If you’d like to dig deeper into the stories of Ireland you’ll love our new membership service Tuatha. Online courses, places to visit, itineraries for great days out and more! Sign up here.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast is also available on
Dig into more stories with Amplify Archaeology Podcast
Episode 29 with Dr Rebecca Boyd
Viking Age Ireland
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 27 with Dr. Karen Dempsey
Relict Plants & Medieval Women
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 20 with Cathy Moore & Dr. Ben Gearey
Wetland Archaeology
Amplify Archaeology
We'd love it if you'd consider sharing this episode with a friend
The post A Bugs AfterLife Archaeological Insect Analysis – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 31 appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
53 min
July 01, 2022Digging Dun Ailinne – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 30
Digging Dún Áilinne
Dig into the Story with Dr Susan Johnston, Prof. Pam Crabtree, Dr Zenobie Garrett & the excavation team
Digging Dún Áilinne
Dig into the Story with Dr Susan Johnston, Prof. Pam Crabtree, Dr Zenobie Garrett & the excavation team
Looming large over the plains of Kildare is a large tree-lined hill. This is Dún Áilinne, believed to be one of Ireland’s ancient ‘royal sites’, and a place of significance for millennia. In this episode of Amplify Archaeology Podcast, Dr. Sharon Greene climbed the storied slopes to meet the team of archaeologists who are seeking to discover Dún Ailline’s secrets.
Recent summers have seen teams of American archaeology students working around the summit of a large hill, close to Kilcullen in county Kildare. They are being trained by professional archaeologists from America and Ireland, in partnership with the Blackfriary Archaeological Field School, and the site they are working on is Dún Áilinne, one of the ancient royal sites of Ireland.
Although Dún Áilinne may not be as well known as Emain Macha (Navan Fort), Rathcroghan, or the Hill of Tara, excavations over the last 50 years have revealed the foundations of an impressive series of large circular timber structures constructed during the Iron Age. These are set in the vicinity of the hill summit, an area enclosed by a massive bank and ditch. The shape of the structures, the discovery of evidence for feasting and the early medieval documentary records of the site all point to a place of ritual and gathering.
In this podcast we will be talking to the site directors, Dr Susan Johnston of George Washington University and Professor Pam Crabtree of New York University (who first came to Dún Áilinne to excavate 50 years ago) as well as other involved in the field school to find out more about the archaeology of the site and the experience of uncovering this iconic site.
Dr Sharon Greene takes over the mic for this episode, and climbs the storied hill to discuss the project and this enigmatic monument with the excavation team. I hope you enjoy the episode!
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: Digging Dún Áilinne
Duration: 60 mins.
Summary:
Climb the storied hill of Dún Áilinne to meet the excavation team who are trying to discover the site’s story.
We are very grateful to the landowners, the Thompson family, for allowing us to visit the excavations to record the podcast and to all the members of the excavation crew for making us so welcome. I’d like to thank all the contributors for kindly sharing their insights and time with us; Dr Susan Johnston, Prof. Pam Crabtree, Dr Zenobie Garrett, Paul Fingleton, Ava Thompson and Sydney Greene. I’m also really grateful to Dr Sharon Greene for doing such a fantastic job, and our brilliant sound engineer Declan Lonergan. Please note that Dún Áilinne is located on private farmland and visits are not possible without prior arrangement with the landowner.
Digging Dún Áilinne – Key Discussion Points
What is Dún Áilinne (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 2 min 09 secs
What are the key archaeological features of Dún Áilinne (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 5 min 07 secs
The summit of the hill (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 11 min 06 secs
Dún Áilinne as a place of gathering and its role in the past (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 14 min 52 secs
The excavations at Dún Áilinne by Prof. Bernard Wailes between 1968–75 (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 16 min 31 secs
What instigated the current programme of research and excavation (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 19 min 48 secs
The results of the recent excavation (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 22 min 46 secs
What was it about Dún Áilinne that attracted researchers from America, and what is the local involvement? (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 26 min 34 secs
Where can people find out a bit more about the excavation (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 30 mins 35 secs
What is the future of the project, and if money was no object what would you do next? (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 31 min 51 secs
Pam describes her experience excavating at Dún Áilinne 50 years ago (chat with Prof. Pam Crabtree) – 34 mins 44 secs
What has been the biggest changes in archaeology and our understanding of Dún Áilinne over the past 50 years (chat with Prof. Pam Crabtree) – 36 min 53 secs
The animal bone assemblage (chat with Prof. Pam Crabtree) – 38 min 36 secs
What Pam would like to see for the future research of the site (chat with Prof. Pam Crabtree) – 41 min 28 secs
How does it feel for Pam to be back excavating at a site she first encountered 50 years ago (chat with Prof. Pam Crabtree) – 44 min 28 secs
What was Zenobi’s experience like when she first arrived at Dún Áilline in 2007 (chat with Dr. Zenobie Garrett) – 45 min 18 secs
The new technologies utilised at Dún Áilinne (chat with Dr. Zenobie Garrett) – 47 min 34 secs
What does Zenobi see as the future of the site, and what she would like to see for future research (chat with Dr. Zenobie Garrett) – 50 min 28 secs
How does a research dig compare with commercial (pre-construction) archaeology? (chat with Paul Fingleton) – 51 min 47 secs
What was it like for Paul as a near-local, to work on such an important monument? (chat with Paul Fingleton) – 53 min 12 secs
We meet students Sydney Greene and Ava Thompson (chat with Paul Fingleton) – 54 min 01 secs
Show notes and links to further information
You can find out more about the excavations at Dun Áilinne on this excellent project Storymap
Please do leave us a review if you can, or share the episode using the podcast #AmplifyArchaeology – it really does help us out so I’d be very grateful.
If you’d like to dig deeper into the stories of Ireland you’ll love our new membership service Tuatha. Online courses, places to visit, itineraries for great days out and more! Sign up here.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast is also available on
Dig into more stories with Amplify Archaeology Podcast
Episode 10 with Cóilín Ó Drisceoil
Excavations at Kilkenny Castle
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 8 with Dr. Patrick Gleeson
Excavations at the Rock of Cashel
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 1; Conor MacDermott & Graeme Warren
Excavations at Glendalough
Amplify Archaeology
We'd love it if you'd consider sharing this episode with a friend
The post Digging Dun Ailinne – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 30 appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
1 hr
June 01, 2022Viking Age Ireland – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 29
Viking Age Ireland
Dig into the Story of Viking Age Ireland in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 29 with Dr Rebecca Boyd
Viking Age Ireland
Dig into the Story of Viking Age Ireland in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 29 with Dr Rebecca Boyd
Have you ever wondered what life was like in Viking Age Ireland. In this fascinating discussion with Dr Rebecca Boyd, we walk the streets of Viking Dublin to discuss houses, towns and trade.
In the year AD 795, Ireland’s Viking Age begins with a bloody raid on our coastal monasteries. Over the centuries, the Vikings changed from raiders to traders, and developed our first true urban centres. Their legacy is all around us today, especially if you live in one of their towns – like Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick or Wexford. In this episode of Amplify Archaeology Podcast, Neil had the opportunity to discuss life in Viking Age Ireland with Dr Rebecca Boyd.
Rebecca has been carrying fascinating research looking at the architectural evidence from the Viking excavations of Dublin, Cork and Waterford to tell a new story about the beginnings of urbanism in Ireland. The chat ranges from an overview of the Viking Age to the development of our towns, what a typical Viking house would have been like to life in 10th century Dublin. I hope you enjoy the episode!
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: Viking Age Ireland
Duration: 1 hour 15 mins.
Summary:
In this fascinating discussion with Dr Rebecca Boyd, we discuss life in Viking Age Ireland.
Viking Age Ireland – Key Discussion Points
Rebecca gives an overview of the story of the Vikings in Ireland – 1 min 20 secs
What drew Rebecca to study the Viking Age? – 6 min 49 secs
And what was it about the environmental and everyday life of Viking Ireland that Rebecca found compelling? – 10 min 04 secs
If we were to walk down a street in Viking Dublin, what would we experience, see and smell? – 12 min 37 secs
What would a typical Viking street be made of? – 17 min 01 secs
Who was responsible for the upkeep of the streets in Viking Dublin? – 19 min 15 secs
What was a typical Viking house like? How big, what were they made of, and what sort of privacy was there? – 21 min 15 secs
Were the houses themselves just for sleeping and eating in? How was the space used? – 27 min 03 secs
What was life like for the elite and the poor? How were their houses different? – 30 min 25 secs
What was life like for a slave in Viking Age Ireland? – 34 min 15 secs
What sorts of evidence do we have that inform us of life in the Viking Age? – 39 mins
Wood Quay and its legacy – 42 mins
How does the approach to Viking studies in Ireland compare with other countries that share similar heritage? – 47 min 35 secs
The importance of archival focused research projects – 54 mins 15 secs
The Vikings as a historical ‘brand’ – 58 min 10 secs
Viking tourism in Ireland – how the public can interact with our Viking heritage. – 1 hour 01 mins 37 secs
Rebecca tells us about her exciting forthcoming publication Exploring Ireland’s Viking-Age Towns: Houses and Homes – 1 hour 06 mins 51 secs
What should people think differently about the Vikings? – 1 hour 08 mins 48 secs
Show notes and links to further information
Be sure to subscribe to Rebecca’s podcast Viking Age Environments. It is available on various podcast platforms, but you can find the best information on her website here.
Rebecca’s book is imminent and I cannot wait! It is called Exploring Ireland’s Viking-Age Towns: Houses and Homes and I’ll add a link as soon as it is available for purchase.
There’s a fantastic Walking Tour and Activity Book on Viking Dublin, it’s by Rosalind Bonté, Eleanor Jackson, Maria Teresa Ramandi, Elizabeth Ashman Rowe, Rebecca Boyd and Erin Goeres. Guided by Aoife the Archaeologist, you can take a stroll around the streets of modern Dublin and learn about the Viking remains beneath your feet. You can download it for free here.
Rebecca’s Academia profile and list of papers (including many on Viking Age Ireland) can be found here.
Eat the Viking streets of Dublin: a blog post by Rebecca about the environment of Viking Dublin is available here.
Did Ireland’s first Vikings really have black hair? Find out here.
Find out how blood thirsty Vikings became the stars of Irish tourism in Rebecca’s article for RTÉ Brainstorm here.
Also on Brainstorm, Rebecca discusses the far-reaching effects the Vikings had when they settled down. You can find that here.
We have a free audiobook about the remarkable discovery of a Viking longphort at Woodstown in County Waterford. It’s on all podcast platforms, find it here.
You can also find the Conservation Management Plan that we wrote for Woodstown here.
Please do leave us a review if you can, or share the episode using the podcast #AmplifyArchaeology – it really does help us out so I’d be very grateful.
If you’d like to dig deeper into the stories of Ireland you’ll love our new membership service Tuatha. Online courses, places to visit, itineraries for great days out and more! Sign up here.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast is also available on
Dig into more stories with Amplify Archaeology Podcast
Episode 21 with Terry O’Hagan
Archaeological Landscapes of St Patrick
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 14 with Maeve Sikora & Matthew Seaver
The National Museum of Ireland
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 9 with Déise Medieval
Living History
Amplify Archaeology
We'd love it if you'd consider sharing this episode with a friend
The post Viking Age Ireland – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 29 appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
1 hr 15 min
December 16, 2021Knockroe Winter Solstice – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 28
Knockroe Winter Solstice
Dig into the Story of the Winter Solstice at Knockroe Passage Tomb in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 28 with Prof. Muiris O’Sullivan
Knockroe Winter Solstice
Dig into the Story of the Winter Solstice at Knockroe Passage Tomb in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 28 with Prof. Muiris O’Sullivan
The Knockroe Winter Solstice is one of the highlights of my year. This Neolithic passage tomb is aligned to both sunrise and sunset on the solstice. Professor Muiris O’Sullivan who excavated Knockroe joins us to discuss this wonderful site, Neolithic Ireland and meaning in episode 28 of Amplify Archaeology Podcast.
In this episode of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast, Neil had another great chat with Professor Muiris O’Sullivan, who you might remember from our Winter Solstice at Newgrange Miniseries. This time Muiris told us all about Knockroe Passage Tomb in the Lingaun Valley, on the borderlands between Kilkenny and Tipperary. Like Newgrange, Knockroe also has Winter Solstice alignments, but for both the sunrise and sunset. Making it a very rare example of a dual-aligned tomb.
Muiris discussed his excavations at Knockroe, the findings and megalithic art, and how an innovative experimental archaeology project by Tara Clarke (now a much-valued colleague at Abarta Heritage!) has revealed some fascinating insights into Neolithic Ireland. We also discussed folklore, borders and boundaries, and the incredibly rich and varied heritage of the Lingaun Valley. Many thanks again to Muiris for all his time and insights. If you’d like to explore this archaeological landscape for yourself do tune into the episode to find out how to get your free itinerary map!
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: Knockroe Winter Solstice
Duration: 59 mins.
Summary:
In this fascinating discussion with Prof. Muiris O’Sullivan, we discuss the Winter Solstice at Knockroe Passage Tomb and more!
Knockroe Winter Solstice – Key Discussion Points
The setting of Knockroe Passage Tomb – 2 min 26 secs
How did Muiris first come to study Knockroe? – 3 min 08 secs
The archaeological landscape of the Lingaun Valley – 4 min 30 secs
Borderlands – 6 min 57 secs
The importance of Slievenamon – 11 min 03 secs
Folklore, Myths and Legends – 12 min
The excavations at Knockroe – 12 min 30 secs
The interesting geology and use of stone at Knockroe – 17 min 47 secs
The two passageways of Knockroe – 23 min
Human remains at Knockroe – 26 mins 09 secs
The artefactual assemblage at Knockroe – 28 min 50 secs
Experimental archaeology and bone pins – 29 min 56 secs
Carrowkeel Bowls – 33 mins 30 secs
The Megalithic Art at Knockroe – 36 min 30 secs
How did the excavations at Knockroe change Muiris’s perception of passage tombs – 39 mins 19 secs
The local folklore of Knockroe – 44 min 30 secs
The Knockroe Winter Solstice and meaning in Neolithic Ireland – 48 min 04 secs
The Winter Solstice at Knockroe today, spirituality, meaning and belief – 50 min 52 secs
Show notes and links to further information
The Winter Solstice event at Knockroe is always a lovely experience. It is managed by the local community through Lingaun Valley Tourism. You can follow them on Facebook here.
If you can’t make it there, I highly recommend watching the Winter Solstice at Newgrange live online. National Monuments and the OPW have it livestreamed here.
Muiris featured in the opening episode of our Newgrange and Winter Solstice Miniseries. You can find that here.
Muiris co-authored an excellent article on Knockroe in the latest edition of Archaeology Ireland Magazine. Give yourself a great Christmas gift by subscribing, to keep up with the latest news and research in Irish Archaeology. You can do so at the Wordwell Website.
I highly recommend Muiris’s excellent Wordwell Publication Antiquities of Rural Ireland by Muiris and for a wonderful overview of all periods of Irish archaeology.
You can also find out more about Knockroe in our article here.
You can access the Lingaun Valley Itinerary Map by signing up for our mailing list in the box below.
Or you can access it, along with a whole host of other itineraries, articles on places to visit, online courses and much more by subscribing to our new membership service: Tuatha.
Please do leave Amplify Archaeology Podcast a review if you can, or share the episode on social media using the podcast #AmplifyArchaeology – it really does help us out so I’d be very grateful.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast is also available on
Dig into more stories with Amplify Archaeology Podcast
Episode 19 with Prof. Gabriel Cooney
Newgrange Podcast Miniseries; Part 5
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 17 with Clare Tuffy
Newgrange Podcast Miniseries; Part 3
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 15 with Prof. Muiris O’Sullivan
Newgrange Podcast Miniseries; Part 1
Amplify Archaeology
We'd love it if you'd consider sharing this episode with a friend
The post Knockroe Winter Solstice – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 28 appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
1 hr
November 30, 2021Green Heritage Relict Plants and Medieval Women – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 27
Green Heritage Relict Plants and Medieval Women
Dig into the Story of Relict Plants and Women & Gender in Medieval Ireland in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 27 with Dr Karen Dempsey
Green Heritage Relict Plants and Medieval Women
Dig into the Story of Relict Plants and Women & Gender in Medieval Ireland in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 27 with Dr Karen Dempsey
When we visit medieval castles, we inevitably focus on the grandeur and romance of the ruins of the stone fortresses, but stories bloom in quiet corners. In this fascinating discussion with Dr Karen Dempsey, we discuss green heritage, relict plants, and women in medieval Ireland.
In this episode of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast, Neil had the opportunity to chat with Dr. Karen Dempsey, a researcher with the Department of Archaeology at NUIG. Karen has been carrying fascinating research with the project ‘Sowing Seeds of Interdisciplinary Work’. The project, funded by the Castle Studies Trust, was a multidisciplinary way of looking at life at medieval castles by studying ‘relict plants’. These plants are the descendants of those introduced by the people who built and lived in the castles. They provide insights into so many aspects of medieval life, including diet, medicine, fashion and belief.
Four geographically diverse but culturally similar medieval castles were selected for botanical surveys: Adare. Co. Limerick, Castleroche, Co. Louth, Carbury, Co. Kildare and Castlecarra, Co. Mayo. Together with detailed analysis of archaeological, historical and architectural details of these castles, the study of the botany has enriched our understanding of the ‘green’ lives of people in the past but also showcased the life of castles – as medieval residences but also as romantic ruins in later landscapes.
This is a fascinating discussion that digs into the results of the project and the chat ranges from castles and conquests, women and gender to gardening, colonialism, spirituality and nature. I hope you enjoy the episode!
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: Green Heritage, Relict Plants, and Medieval Women
Duration: 53 mins.
Summary:
In this fascinating discussion with Dr Karen Dempsey, we discuss green heritage, relict plants, and women in medieval Ireland.
Green Heritage, Relict Plants and Medieval Women – Key Discussion Points
What drew Karen to study the medieval period? – 1 min 01 secs
What are relict plants? – 3 min 06 secs
Apart from food, what else were plants used for in medieval Ireland? – 4 min 35 secs
Did the use of plants change after the arrival of the Normans? Can plants be colonial? – 6 min 49 secs
The Relict Plants Projects – 8 min 25 secs
Results at Castleroche – 12 min 50 secs
Results at Adare Castle – 17 min 24 secs
Results at Castle Carra – 20 min 07 secs
Results at Carbury Castle – 22 min 43 secs
The importance of hedgerows and ‘green heritage’ – 25 mins 29 secs
Gardening, Meaning and Living Heritage – 26 min 12 secs
Does the type of plant we choose to grow say something about society, today and in the past? – 30 min 26 secs
Plants and spirituality – 34 mins 15 secs
Women and medieval Ireland – 40 min 28 secs
Medieval women in the historical record – 45 mins 20 secs
Where can people learn more about the project – 46 min 57 secs
Show notes and links to further information
You can discover more about the Sowing Seeds Project here.
The fascinating results of the project are discussed here, and you can read the final reports here.
You can find a brilliant talk by Karen for Heritage Week, along with all the site videos on YouTube.
You can also see Karen addressing gender in archaeology in this video: Gendering the Narrative of Research Frameworks.
The brilliant graphic novel that Karen mentioned on Gender and Archaeology can be found at Sidestone.
Archaeology and Gender in Europe – a group within the community of the European Association of Archaeologists can be found here.
Karen also has some brilliant articles if you’d like to dig deeper into some of these subjects. These include:
Dempsey, K. 2021. Tending the ‘Contested’ Castle Garden: Sowing Seeds of Feminist Thought. Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 1–15.
Dempsey, K. 2021. Herstory: exploring the material life of Gundrada de Warenne. In E. Bérat, R. Hardie and I. Dumitrescu (ed) Relations of Power: Women’s Networks in the Middle Ages. Studien zu Macht und Herrschaft. V&R unipress, University of Bonn Press. pp. 169-197
Dempsey, K., Gilchrist, R., Ashbee, J., Stones, S. & Sagrott, S. 2020. Beyond the martial façade: gender, heritage and medieval castles, International Journal of Heritage Studies, 26:4, pp. 352-369
You can hear more on the origins and architecture of Irish Castles in Episode 3 of Amplify Archaeology Podcast with Professor Tadhg O’Keeffe.
I highly recommend Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, it’s one of my favourite books of recent years. If you’re in Ireland you’ll find it at a good price and free post at Kennys.ie.
And if you’re interested in exploring more on the connections between our spiritual and natural world you might enjoy Emergence Magazine Podcast. Always worth a listen.
Please do leave us a review if you can, or share the episode using the podcast #AmplifyArchaeology – it really does help us out so I’d be very grateful.
If you’d like to dig deeper into the stories of Ireland you’ll love our new membership service Tuatha. Online courses, places to visit, itineraries for great days out and more! Sign up here.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast is also available on
Dig into more stories with Amplify Archaeology Podcast
Episode 23 with Dr. Marion Dowd
Cave Archaeology
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 5 with Dr. Meriel McClatchie & team
Bloom; the Past in Plant Remains
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 3 with Prof. Tadhg O’Keeffe
Irish Castles
Amplify Archaeology
We'd love it if you'd consider sharing this episode with a friend
The post Green Heritage Relict Plants and Medieval Women – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 27 appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
53 min
September 03, 2021Irish High Crosses – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 26
Irish High Crosses
Dig into the Story of Ireland’s iconic high crosses in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 26 with Prof. Roger Stalley
Irish High Crosses
Dig into the Story of Ireland’s iconic high crosses in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 26 with Prof. Roger Stalley
Irish high crosses are undoubtedly one of the great treasures of our nation, but what are their origins and how were they created? In this fascinating discussion with Prof. Roger Stalley we dig into the story
High crosses have become one of the most totemic images of our nation. The crosses have come to symbolise not only Irish Christianity, but Irish identity. Go to any graveyard today and you’ll see dozens of replicas, embellished with interlace and celtic-style art. But what are the origins of this symbol and is it completely unique to Ireland? I was so delighted to have the opportunity to discuss high crosses with Professor Roger Stalley of Trinity College Dublin. Roger’s new publication Early Irish Sculpture and the Art of the High Crosses is a landmark study that focuses on the remarkable Muiredach’s Cross at Monasterboice. Where previous studies of high crosses have focused on the iconography and religious depictions, Roger takes a broader view and examines just how these magnificent monuments were created, looking at who may have commissioned them, how were they quarried and what can we discover of the artists and sculptors.
This discussion takes a deep dive into some of these questions, you’ll find out what was in the toolkit of an early medieval sculptor, we discuss the political and religious impetus that led to their development, and we examine the threats that Ireland’s high crosses face today, and what exactly we can do about it. I hope you enjoy the episode.
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: Irish High Crosses
Duration: 1 hour 20 mins.
Summary:
Dig into the story of Ireland’s high crosses in this discussion with Professor Roger Stalley. We discuss the origins of Ireland’s high crosses, how they were made and who commissioned them.
Irish High Crosses – Key Discussion Points
What are the origins of Ireland’s high crosses? – 1 min 02 secs
Which of Ireland’s high crosses could be the earliest? – 6 min 50 secs
The importance of regionality – 10 min 30 secs
How were high crosses made and what stone was preferred? – 11 min 12 secs
Who created the high crosses? Is there any evidence of an individual creating more than one high cross? – 16 min 15 secs
Are high crosses a Columban innovation? – 21 min 05 secs
What would be in the toolkit of a sculptor who created a high cross? – 23 min 45 secs
Engineering ability in early medieval Ireland – 27 min 45 secs
Who commissioned the creation of a high cross? – 30 min 00 secs
Depictions on Irish high crosses – 35 mins 20 secs
How much truth is there in the old cliché that crosses were created to communicate biblical stories for an illiterate population? – 40 min 30 secs
Were Irish high crosses painted? – 45 min 35 secs
What makes Muiredach’s Cross at Monasterboice so special? – 55 mins 15 secs
What were the cats on the cross all about? – 59 min 02 secs
Aside from Muiredach’s Cross, does Roger have any particular favourite crosses? – 1 hour 01 mins 01 secs
The future for our high crosses – what threats do they face? – 1 hour 03 mins 25 secs
The need for a collaborative solution to the threats to our high crosses – 1 hour 11 mins 27 secs
The interconnectedness and multifaceted nature of Irish high crosses – 1 hour 17 mins 53 secs
Show notes and links to further information
I honestly cannot recommend Roger’s new publication highly enough, it is one of the most beautifully illustrated and accessible publications I’ve read in recent years. You can find a copy from the publisher Yale University Press, or if you’re in Ireland you can find it at Kennys with free delivery (or your local bookshop).
The high crosses of Monasterboice is something you really need to experience for yourself. They are just stunning! If you get a nice bright day, particularly in the autumn with low glancing light, you will see the work of a true master. If you’d like to make a day of it, there are a number of other incredible monuments nearby – all featuring on our free audio tour of the Boyne Valley.
We may have discussed how the crosses were coloured – but we didn’t talk about which colours! You can choose yourself as we have a free printable colouring page of Muiredach’s Cross, beautifully illustrated by Sara. Download and print yours here.
I hope you’re enjoying our podcast so far. If you have the time I’d love it if you’d consider leaving us a review. It really helps us, especially on Apple Podcasts.
Do you want to dig even deeper into the stories of Ireland? Our membership service Tuatha could be for you! We have lots of information on places to visit, exclusive itineraries covering wonderful landscapes like the Dingle Peninsula, Causeway Coast and Connemara, online courses, exclusive tours and monthly talks, and so much more! We’d love it if you joined. You can find out more here.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast is also available on
Dig into more stories with Amplify Archaeology Podcast
Episode 21 with Terry O’Hagan
Archaeological Landscapes of St Patrick
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 13 with Dr. Nora White
Ogham
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 11; Orla-Peach Power & Gary Dempsey
Digital Heritage & Sheela-na-gigs
Amplify Archaeology
We'd love it if you'd consider sharing this episode with a friend
The post Irish High Crosses – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 26 appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
1 hr 21 min
August 08, 2021Excavations at Beaubec – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 25
Excavations at Beaubec
Hear about the Excavations at Beaubec in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 25
Excavations at Beaubec
Hear about the Excavations at Beaubec in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 25
Home, home on the grange – in this episode of Amplify Archaeology Podcast we visit the fascinating excavation of a Cistercian grange at Beaubec in the Boyne Valley. We chat with the excavation directors, the landowners, the excavation team and specialists to discover the story of the dig.
I always love a good trench-side chat, so I was delighted to be invited to the very last day of Geraldine and Matthew Stout’s excavation of a Cistercian grange, or farm complex, at Beaubec near Drogheda. The site is highly significant, as it revealed a large stone barn giving us unparalleled insights into the workings of a medieval monastic grange. Being located in the Boyne Valley, the dig also inevitably revealed evidence of much earlier farmers, with Neolithic artefacts and a possible pit-circle.
During this episode I had the opportunity to discuss the excavation with Geraldine and Matthew who told us of the site’s significance, we also had a great chat with the McCullen family who own the land and who have played a key role in the excavation. We discuss their interest in the project, and what it’s like to be a landowner with such a significant monument on your land. We also chatted to the brilliant excavation team and specialists and John Sunderland the artist in residence.
I’m so grateful to Geraldine and Matthew, the excavation team and all the contributors, and most especially Grace and John McCullen for their warm hospitality and welcome. As it was the last day of the dig it was all go, so please do forgive any little audio wobbles!
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: Excavations at Beaubec
Duration: 1 hour 15 mins.
Summary:
Join us for a trench-side chat at the excavation of a Cistercian grange in County Meath. We hear from the excavation directors Geraldine and Matthew Stout, the landowners and the excavation team on this fascinating project
Excavations at Beaubec – Key Discussion Points and Contributors
Geraldine Stout: project overview, aims, objectives and what was found – 01 min 18 secs
Matthew Stout: the historical background, how the Cistercians came to farm at Beaubec – 2 min 45 secs
Geraldine and Matthew: how did the Cistercians of Beaubec get on with those of Mellifont and Bective – 5 min 35 secs
Geraldine and Matthew: the role of the De Lacy family in the foundations – 7 min 15 secs
Geraldine and Matthew: how did Beaubec operate, how did the Cistercians manage the land? – 8 min 25 secs
Geraldine and Matthew: the origins of this project – 12 min 47 secs
Geraldine and Matthew: the importance of Beaubec – 14 min 25 secs
Geraldine and Matthew: the discoveries, the barn, medieval discoveries, a prehistoric tomb and late Neolithic pit circle and more! – 15 min 39 secs
Geraldine and Matthew: the future for the project – 16 min 30 secs
Aidan Giblin, Mick Mongey and Anthony Neville of Resurrecting Monuments: on their experiences in archaeology and the Beaubec dig – 17 min 30 secs
Bea McCullen: the youngest member of the team tells us of her experience on the excavation – 25 min 34 secs
John McCullen: the landowner of Beaubec tells us of his interest in the site and its history – 28 mins
John McCullen: what’s it like to have an important monument on your land, a blessing or a nuisance? – 29 mins 54 secs
John McCullen: what would John like to see for the future of the site – 33 mins 17 secs
John Sunderland: the artist in residence at Beaubec and the blend of heritage and art – 35 mins 49 secs
Michala Nagyova, Bronagh James, Catherine Meehan and Molly O’Connell: on their experiences in archaeology and the Beaubec dig – 42 mins 24 secs
Daniel Cummins and Elizabeth Gardner: on their experiences in archaeology and the Beaubec dig, and Elizabeth tells us about her engineering background – 45 mins 16 secs
Anthony Murphy of Mythical Ireland: on drone photography and aerial discoveries in the Boyne Valley – 49 mins 47 secs
Craig Downie: on excavating the service tower and latrine – 54 mins 40 secs
Penny Johnston: environmental archaeology and what it can tell us about life in Beaubec – 57 mins 26 secs
Caitríona Devane: the artefactual assemblage – 1 hour 3 mins 30 secs
Roseanne Meehan: the pottery assemblage and what it can tell us about life at Beaubec – 1 hour 05 mins
Grace McCullen: growing up at Beaubec, the experience of the excavation on the family land and the future for Beaubec – 1 hour 08 mins 25 secs
Show notes and links to further information
You can discover more about the excavation on their fantastic website here.
An article on the dig ‘Excavations in the time of Coronavirus’ also featured in the Winter 2020 edition of Archaeology Ireland Magazine.
And a detailed account ‘Excavations at Beaubec, Beymore, Co.Meath (2019-20) – a preliminary report.’ by Geraldine Stout and Matthew Stout featured in Riocht na Midhe, Vol XXXII 2021.
You can see a lovely timelapse video of aerial images showing the progress of the excavation on Anthony Murphy’s YouTube channel here.
You can find more information on John Sunderland’s Touching Time art project on the excavation blog.
If you’re interested in digging deeper into the stories of Ireland with online courses and lots of resources, and if you like exploring fantastic archaeology sites then you might enjoy our new Membership Service, Tuatha.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast is also available on
Dig into more stories with Amplify Archaeology Podcast
Episode 10 with Cóilín Ó Drisceoil
Excavations at Kilkenny Castle
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 8 with Dr. Patrick Gleeson
Excavations at the Rock of Cashel
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 1; Conor MacDermott & Graeme Warren
Excavations at Glendalough
Amplify Archaeology
We'd love it if you'd consider sharing this episode with a friend
The post Excavations at Beaubec – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 25 appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
1 hr 16 min
June 26, 2021The Black Pig’s Dyke – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 24
The Black Pig’s Dyke. The Original Irish Border?
Dig into the Story of the Black Pig’s Dyke in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 24
The Black Pig’s Dyke. The Original Irish Border?
Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 24
The Black Pig’s Dyke is an enormous series of earthworks that traverse nine counties from Donegal to Armagh. But why was it built and when? Was it really the original Irish border or is there another tale to tell? A new publication casts new light on this enigmatic monument, so join us in a chat with the authors and project team to discover the story.
A series of ancient and enigmatic linear earthworks contours the Irish landscape across nine counties, from Donegal to Armagh. The monumentality of these great earthworks has led to them being imbued with folklore and mythology, giving it evocative names like the Worm Ditch, the Dúncla and perhaps most famously, the The Black Pig’s Dyke. A name that derives from an old folk-tale of an enchanted boar that tore up the landscape with its tusks.
Perhaps the best stretch of the Black Pig’s Dyke is a 10km stretch in County Monaghan. It has been long believed to be an ancient boundary that separated Ulster from the rest of Ireland, but was it an Irish version of the Roman Antonine Wall? A new Wordwell publication offers a fresh perspective on the Black Pig’s Dyke and other great linear earthworks, based on Aidan Walsh’s excavations in the 1980s and a new series of investigations by Cóilín Ó Drisceoil through the Black Pig’s Dyke Regional Project. The project reassesses the chronology and interpretation of the monument, and it offers fascinating new insights into these enormous monuments and the role they played in prehistoric Ireland.
In this episode of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast, Neil was delighted to be joined by Cóilín Ó Drisceoil, Aidan Walsh and Shirley Clerkin. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this recording was carried out over Zoom, and there so there are a few audio wobbles. Please do bear with us though, it really is a fascinating discussion!
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: The Black Pig’s Dyke
Duration: 1 hour 16 mins.
Summary:
Dig into the story of the Black Pig’s Dyke, an enigmatic series of prehistoric earthworks that traverse a number of Ulster counties.
The Black Pig’s Dyke – Key Discussion Points
Where and what is the Black Pig’s Dyke? – 1 min 08 secs
The Folklore and Mythology of the monument – 7 min 30 secs
Are there other monuments like it in Ireland or overseas? – 10 min 15 secs
The excavation of a section at Aghareagh West in 1982 – 16 min 10 secs
How did the recent project come about? – 20 min 40 secs
What was involved and how was the monument re-examined? – 26 min 00 secs
What did the recent project reveal about the chronology of the monument – how old is the Black Pig’s Dyke? – 31 min 45 secs
Has the new insights change the way you look at such a familiar monument? – 35 min 18 secs
What do you think the Black Pig’s Dyke really was? Was it a defensive boundary or something else? – 38 min 45 secs
When and why was it destroyed by fire? – 52 mins 30 secs
A discussion on territorial oppida – 57 min 20 secs
At a time when Ulster’s border is back in the news, what does the Black Pig’s Dyke tell us about territoriality and borderlands? – 1 hour 1 min 18 secs
The importance of re-evaluation and asking questions about monuments that may feel very familiar to us – 1 hour 5 mins 25 secs
The future of the Black Pig’s Dyke project, will the site ever be accessible to the public? – 1 hour 6 min 30 secs.
Show notes and links to further information
The Wordwell publication Materialising Power, the Archaeology of the Black Pig’s Dyke really is brilliant. It’s very accessible and beautifully illustrated. You can order a copy here.
You can also learn more about the project and the monument at blackpigsdyke.ie.
You can discover more of the story of Monaghan at the fantastic Monaghan County Museum.
Cóilín featured on a previous episode of Amplify Archaeology where he told us all about his fascinating excavation at Kilkenny Castle.
At the end of the show I said our new service should be ready, but I’m really sorry to say it isn’t quite there! – we are still working hard to make sure it is a great user experience, so we invested a bit more time in a couple of features. Sorry for the delay! But we do have a brilliant special offer for the first 100 people to sign up, to be the first to find out when it goes live be sure to join our Tuatha Wait List.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast is also available on
Dig into more stories with Amplify Archaeology Podcast
Episode 10 with Cóilín Ó Drisceoil
Excavations at Kilkenny Castle
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 8 with Dr. Patrick Gleeson
Excavations at the Rock of Cashel
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 7; Lara Cassidy, Robert Hensey et al
Neolithic Mortuary Practice at Carrowkeel
Amplify Archaeology
We'd love it if you'd consider sharing this episode with a friend
The post The Black Pig’s Dyke – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 24 appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
1 hr 16 min