Amplify Archaeology Podcast

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

Amplify Archaeology Podcast episodes

December 18, 2020Newgrange Light at the End of the Tunnel with Muiris O Sullivan – Amplify Archaeology Podcast
From Darkness into Light – The Winter Solstice at Newgrange
Prof. Muiris O’Sullivan joins us for Part 1 of our miniseries on Newgrange and the Winter Solstice
From Darkness into Light – The Winter Solstice at Newgrange
Prof. Muiris O’Sullivan joins us for Part 1 of our miniseries on Newgrange and the Winter Solstice
In the first part of a miniseries focusing on the Winter Solstice at Newgrange, Neil is joined by Professor Muiris O’Sullivan, who discusses the landscapes of Neolithic Ireland, belief and meaning, art and darkness.
The great passage tomb of Newgrange in the Boyne Valley of County Meath, is one of Ireland’s most iconic monuments. Today it is a World Heritage Site, and (on a normal year) it is one of our most visited monuments, with people from all over the world travelling to see this marvel of Neolithic engineering and belief. As the Winter Solstice is upon us, Newgrange takes on even more meaning, as it is aligned with the mid-winter solstice. On a clear dawn on the 20th, 21st and 22nd December, a beam of light from the rising sun travels up the passageway to illuminate the chamber. Each year people gather in great numbers around the monument to celebrate this phenomenon, and lucky lottery winners get the ultimate prize of being inside the chamber to witness it first hand. However, this year, if it shines the light will pass unseen by human eyes. The pandemic that has taken so much, has also meant that the gathering for 2020 has been cancelled.
I thought this would be a good opportunity to discuss Newgrange with some of the experts who know the site intimately. As a way of casting another kind of light on our iconic monument. This is the first episode of a miniseries focusing on Newgrange. In this edition Neil was joined by Professor Muiris O’Sullivan, one of the legends of Irish archaeology. Muiris has spent a lifetime studying and writing about Irish archaeology. He has a particular interest in megalithic art, and in the podcast we discuss many aspects of Newgrange, the people who built it, and its meaning today. We also discuss Knockroe Passage Tomb in County Kilkenny, another monument that shares a mid-winter solstice alignment, and that Muiris excavated in the 1990s.
Given the restrictions we recorded the discussion over Zoom, so please forgive the audio quality if it is a bit off. I do hope you’ll stay with us as it’s a broad ranging discussion where we hear some fascinating personal reflections on megalithic tombs, darkness, art and meanings.
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: Winter Solstice at Newgrange Podcast Miniseries Part 1
Duration: 45 mins.
Summary:
For the first part of our miniseries on the Winter Solstice at Newgrange, Prof. Muiris O’Sullivan joins us for a broad ranging discussion where we hear some fascinating personal reflections on megalithic tombs, darkness, art and meaning
Newgrange Winter Solstice Part 1 – Show Notes
The beautiful image of light entering the chamber used as the header and in the gallery of this page is courtesy of Brian Morrison, Fáilte Ireland
Professor Muiris O’Sullivan has written extensively on megalithic art, and a new publication is currently in the works. We’ll certainly share it here as soon as it is available so do check back soon!
I highly recommend the excellent Wordwell Publication Antiquities of Rural Ireland for a wonderful overview of all periods of Irish archaeology.
The Winter Solstice at Newgrange is being livestreamed this year, you can watch it here.
For details on the opening times and more information on the Visitor Centre at the Brú na Bóinne please see the OPW website.
Dr. Jessica Smyth features in Part 2 of our Newgrange and the Winter Solstice Series. You can hear that here.
You can hear Part 3 of our Newgrange and the Winter Solstice Series with Clare Tuffy here.
Part 4 of our Newgrange and the Winter Solstice Series featured Dr. Robert Hensey, and you can hear that here.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast
This is the first part of a five episode miniseries focusing on Newgrange, the Winter Solstice and Neolithic Ireland. Please subscribe to Amplify Archaeology Podcast on your favourite platform to ensure you don’t miss a thing. If you leave us a review it can really help us to be found, so we’d be very grateful if you’d consider sharing the podcast.
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Episode 18 with Dr. Robert Hensey
Newgrange Podcast Miniseries; Part 4
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Episode 17 with Clare Tuffy
Newgrange Podcast Miniseries; Part 3
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Episode 16 with Dr. Jessica Smyth
Newgrange Podcast Miniseries; Part 2
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The post Newgrange Light at the End of the Tunnel with Muiris O Sullivan – Amplify Archaeology Podcast appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
46 min
August 29, 2020National Museum of Ireland – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 14
The National Museum of Ireland
Maeve Sikora & Matt Seaver of the National Museum of Ireland join us for Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 14
The National Museum of Ireland
Maeve Sikora & Matt Seaver of the National Museum of Ireland join us for Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 14
In this episode of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast, Neil pays a visit to the National Museum of Ireland for a chat with the Keeper of Antiquities Maeve Sikora and Assistant Keeper Matt Seaver, to discuss the role of the museum and the new exhibition on Glendalough.
In this episode Neil visits the National Museum of Ireland for a conversation with the Keeper of Irish Antiquities Maeve Sikora and the Assistant Keeper of Irish Antiquities Matthew Seaver. We discuss the background to the National Museum, its role as a national institution and the key challenges that the museum faces. We examine some of the threats to our archaeological heritage, and find out what to do if you come across an archaeological object with a terrific example of what happened when a Donegal farmer discovered the gleam of gold while digging a drain. We also discuss the upcoming new exhibition on Glendalough, and the process of curation – how to choose what goes on display and what remains in storage. Thank you so much to Maeve and Matthew for these fantastic insights into one of Ireland’s most important cultural institutions.
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
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Title: The National Museum of Ireland
Duration: 46 mins.
Summary:
In this episode of Amplify Archaeology we take a trip to the National Museum of Ireland to hear about the Museum’s role in archaeology and the new exhibition on Glendalough
Episode 14 The National Museum of Ireland – Show Notes
The National Museum of Ireland’s website can be found here.
All branches of the National Museum of Ireland are free to enter. But with social distancing due to COVID-19 it is recommended to reserve your place ahead of visiting.
For information and to book a ticket for the Archaeology branch on Kildare Street please see here.
For information and to book a ticket for the Decorative Arts and History branch at Collins Barracks please see here.
For information and to book a ticket for the Natural History Museum on Merrion Street please see here.
For information and to book a ticket for the Museum of Country Life in Castlebar, County Mayo, please see here
Information on the Law on Metal Detecting in Ireland can be found here.
More information on metal detecting in Ireland can also be found in this handy pdf leaflet.
The very first episode of Amplify Archaeology Podcast was recorded live from the trenches at Glendalough with Graeme, Conor and the excavation team. You can hear that here.
You can now enjoy an interactive, virtual tour of the Treasury Exhibition and discover iconic objects like the Ardagh Chalice here.
You can discover more information about the incredible Faddan More Psalter here.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast
During this podcast series we will meet some of Ireland’s archaeologists to discuss the key periods, places and people that tell the story of Ireland, and we’ll gain new insights into the practice and techniques of modern Irish archaeology. This is the seventh instalment of Amplify Archaeology, previous episodes have featured discussions on Ogham, Conflict Archaeology and Digital Heritage. We have also covered news from the trenches at excavations at Kilkenny Castle and the Rock of Cashel. And we’ve discussed Living History, the Beaker People, History of Food, Passage Tombs, Castles, Mesolithic Ireland and Glendalough.
I’d love some feedback, so please do leave a comment below – and if you have any questions about Irish archaeology please do let me know, we can try to answer them in forthcoming episodes. Finally if you enjoyed this podcast I’d be really grateful if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or please share it and tell your friends.
The podcast is an Abarta Heritage production. It was recorded in the National Museum of Ireland in Kildare Street with Neil Jackman (the interviewer) Maeve Sikora and Matthew Seaver. We are so grateful to Maeve and Matt for their generosity and insights.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast is also available on
Dig into more stories with Amplify Archaeology Podcast
Episode 13 with Dr. Nora White
Ogham
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 12 with Dr. Damian Shiels
Conflict Archaeology
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 1; Conor MacDermott & Graeme Warren
Excavations at Glendalough
Amplify Archaeology
Please help to Amplify Archaeology by sharing this podcast!
The post National Museum of Ireland – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 14 appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
46 min
July 30, 2020Ogham – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 13
Ogham Stones
Dig into the Story of Ogham Stones in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 13 with Dr. Nora White
Ogham Stones
Dig into the Story of Ogham Stones in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 13 with Dr. Nora White
Ogham Stones are some of the most iconic aspects of Irish archaeology, but how much do we know about ogham? In this episode Neil is joined by Dr. Nora White to decipher the story!
Ogham stones are some of the most iconic symbols of Ireland’s heritage. The stones bear inscriptions in the Irish Ogham alphabet, using a system of notches and horizontal or diagonal lines/scores to represent the sounds of an early form of the Irish language. The stones are often inscribed with the names of prominent people and sometimes tribal affiliation or geographical areas. These inscriptions constitute the earliest recorded form of Irish and, as our earliest written records dating back at least as far as the 5th century AD, are a significant resource for historians, as well as linguists and archaeologists.
In some ways, ogham is one of the more familiar features of our past – you can see it incorporated into modern artworks, tattoos, keepsakes and even a new ogham trail in County Wicklow – but what are the origins of ogham, where did it first appear and why is it more prevalent in some counties than others?
In this episode of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast, Neil had the opportunity to chat with Dr. Nora White about ogham and its origins. Dr Nora White is the Principal Investigator on the Ogham in 3D Project, a wonderful resource that seeks to catalogue, digitise and record as many as possible of the approximately four hundred surviving Ogham stones and to make the resulting 3D models freely accessible as part of a multi-disciplinary archive. Dr. White is also a researcher on the ChronHib Project in the Department of Early Irish at Maynooth University, as well as being a Heritage in Schools Panelist where she helps to engage pupils with the story of ogham.
A fair warning – there are gunshots going off randomly nearby during the discussion so brace your ears, archaeology is a dangerous job!
Also please note – I’m only joking Kilkenny, you’re one of my favourite counties.
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AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: Ogham Stones
Duration: 32 mins.
Summary:
In this episode Neil was joined by Dr. Nora White who helps us to understand Ireland’s iconic ogham stones
Episode 13 Ogham Stones with Dr Nora White – Show Notes
You can find more on the Ogham in 3D Project on their website.
You can also find the Ogham alphabet on there too.
As Nora says, the Dingle Peninsula has a wealth of ogham stones. One of the best places to learn about them is in the Musaem Chorca Dhuibhne (West Kerry Museum).
UCC has a remarkable collection of ogham stones, mainly accumulated by antiquarian collectors in the 19th century. You can find them in the aptly-named Stone Corridor.
You can find out more about Knockboy Church and the communities efforts to conserve this fascinating site here.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast
During this podcast series we will meet some of Ireland’s archaeologists to discuss the key periods, places and people that tell the story of Ireland, and we’ll gain new insights into the practice and techniques of modern Irish archaeology. This is the thirteenth instalment of Amplify Archaeology, previous episodes have featured discussions on excavations at Kilkenny Castle and the Rock of Cashel, Living History, the Beaker People, History of Food, Passage Tombs, Castles, Mesolithic Ireland and Glendalough.
I’d love some feedback, so please do leave a comment below – and if you have any questions about Irish archaeology please do let me know, we can try to answer them in forthcoming episodes. Finally if you enjoyed this podcast I’d be really grateful if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or please share it and tell your friends.
The podcast is an Abarta Heritage production. It was recorded in the shadow of the high crosses at Ahenny on the Kilkenny/Tipperary border with Neil Jackman (the interviewer) and Dr. Nora White. We are so grateful to Nora for her generosity and insights. The audio was edited with the assistance of Declan Lonergan of Bluebird Studios, County Kildare.
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 11; Orla-Peach Power & Gary Dempsey
Digital Heritage & Sheela-na-gigs
Amplify Archaeology
Please help to Amplify Archaeology by sharing this podcast
The post Ogham – Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 13 appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
33 min
January 17, 2020Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 12 – Conflict Archaeology
Battlefield & Conflict Archaeology
Hear about Ireland’s conflict archaeology in Episode 12 of Amplify Archaeology Podcast with Dr. Damian Shiels
Battlefield & Conflict Archaeology
Hear about Ireland’s conflict archaeology in Episode 12 of Amplify Archaeology Podcast with Dr. Damian Shiels
In this episode of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast, Neil was joined by Dr. Damian Shiels to discuss the importance and vulnerability of Ireland’s battlefield and conflict archaeology sites.
The story of Ireland is sadly often punctuated with violence. From medieval warfare to the twentieth century struggle for Independence, battles have shaped the country that we know today. But despite their significance, many of Ireland’s battlefields remain little understood and protected, and some face existential threats.
Battles such as Clontarf (1014), Kinsale (1601), the Boyne (1690), Aughrim (1691), Vinegar Hill (1798) and the Easter Rising (1916), have been crucial turning points in Irish history. But how much do we know about the physical locations where these conflicts took place? How can we understand the landscapes of conflict? And why are these places, so critical to the shaping of the nation, at real risk of being lost or destroyed? In this episode of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast we hear from Dr. Damian Shiels who discusses some of these important issues. Damian is an archaeologist and historian with a particular interest in conflict archaeology and the story of the Irish diaspora. Damian is also the author of the fantastic Irish in the American Civil War Website and the Forgotten Irish Podcast.
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: Battlefield & Conflict Archaeology
Duration: 47 mins.
Summary:
In this episode of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast, Neil was joined by Dr. Damian Shiels to discuss the importance and vulnerability of Ireland’s battlefield and conflict archaeology sites.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 12 Conflict Archaeology – Show Notes
Damian’s fantastic resource on the story of the Irish in the American Civil War can be explored here and do check out his excellent podcast The Forgotten Irish.
For information on the Law on Metal Detecting in Ireland please see here.
Damian’s Landscapes of Revolution website is well worth exploring. You can find it here.
The Longest Day at Vinegar Hill Project was carried out to understand the archaeology of one of the most important battles of the 1798 Rebellion. The project was a partnership between Damian Shiels (then of Rubicon Heritage), Dr. James Bonsall of Sligo IT, Earthsound Geophysics and Cotswold Archaeology with the support of Wexford County Council. You can find Damian’s lecture on the project on YouTube.
The Archaeology of 1916 Project was undertaken between Dublin City Council, UCD School of Archaeology and Archaeology and Built Heritage and examined the landscape of the 1916 Rising throughout the contemporary city. You can find more information on the project on their website here.
There’s a really interesting study on the conflict archaeology of the Irish Civil War in Wexford by Catherine McLoughlin of Stafford McLoughlin Archaeology and Colm Moriarty of IrishArchaeology.ie and supported by Wexford County Council. For more information please see the project website here.
You can read our Tuatha article on Vinegar Hill here.
You can find out more on the Defence of Britain Project please see here.
A description of the Home Front Legacy Project can be found here.
For visitor information for the Battle of Aughrim Visitor Centre please visit here.
For visitor information for the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre please visit here.
Athlone Castle have a fantastic exhibition on the story of the sieges there. For information please see here.
Information on the Soldiers and Chiefs Exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks can be found here.
Members of Tuatha can watch Damien Shiels give a virtual tour of Vinegar Hill and have access to a recording of his Tuatha Talk webinar on the Irish in the American Civil War. Find out more about becoming a member on tuatha.ie.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast
During this podcast series we will meet some of Ireland’s archaeologists to discuss the key periods, places and people that tell the story of Ireland, and we’ll gain new insights into the practice and techniques of modern Irish archaeology. This is the twelfth instalment of Amplify Archaeology, previous episodes have featured discussions on Digital Archaeology, the excavations at Kilkenny Castle and the Rock of Cashel, Living History, the Beaker People, History of Food, Passage Tombs, Castles, Mesolithic Ireland and Glendalough.
I’d love some feedback, so please do leave a comment below – and if you have any questions about Irish archaeology please do let me know, we can try to answer them in forthcoming episodes. Finally if you enjoyed this podcast I’d be really grateful if you could leave us a review, or even better still please share it and tell your friends.
The podcast is an Abarta Heritage production. It was recorded in our offices in Clonmel, County Tipperary with Neil Jackman (the interviewer) and Dr. Damian Shiels. We are really grateful to Damian for his generosity with his time and insights.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast is also available on
Dig into more stories with Amplify Archaeology Podcast
Episode 20 with Cathy Moore & Dr. Ben Gearey
Wetland Archaeology
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 14 with Maeve Sikora & Matthew Seaver
The National Museum of Ireland
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 10 with Cóilín Ó Drisceoil
Excavations at Kilkenny Castle
Amplify Archaeology
Please help to Amplify Archaeology by sharing this podcast
The post Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 12 – Conflict Archaeology appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
47 min
November 15, 2019Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 11 – Digital Heritage and Sheela na Gig 3D
Digital Heritage and the Sheela na Gig 3D Project
Dig into the Story of Ireland’s iconic Sheela na Gig sculptures and Digital Heritage in Episode 11
Digital Heritage and the Sheela na Gig 3D Project
Dig into the Story of Ireland’s iconic Sheela na Gig sculptures and Digital Heritage in Episode 11
Discover how new techniques in digital heritage recording are helping us to better understand and catalogue Ireland’s iconic sheela na gig sculptures in Episode 11 of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast.
New techniques in digital heritage recording are helping us to gain new insights into archaeological sites, features and artefacts. Digital Heritage is the process of digitally documenting heritage and culture. It focuses on finding the best best method of digitally recording a heritage site or artefact while presenting it to the public in an accessible way. In this episode of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast, Neil had the opportunity to chat with Orla-Peach Power and Gary Dempsey of Digital Heritage Age who are helping to pioneer these new methods in Ireland. Digital Heritage Age are a network of digital heritage professionals engaged in the promotion of digitising cultural heritage in Ireland. They seek to promote best practice in digital heritage projects and build links between professionals and local heritage groups, communities and societies.
Digital Heritage Age are inspired by the Irish word for a work team, gang, or party, ‘meitheal’, and their work helps to develop a platform for cooperation between groups and individuals sharing a common cause. Digital Heritage Age also strive to nurture a local ‘sense of place’ and ownership in local heritage, by engaging with local sites and artefacts and by helping to empower communities by giving them the skills and confidence to record their local heritage. The flagship project of Digital Heritage Age is the The Digital County Initiative a coming together of communities, to share workloads and skills for digital heritage. This project aims to create a locally curated ‘digital museum’ for every county in Ireland. The project aims to train both professionals and heritage communities with the skills to develop their own digital heritage projects.
In this episode Orla-Peach and Gary discuss the benefits and challenges of Digital Heritage and their work. We also chat about Ireland’s enigmatic Sheela na Gig and try to cast light on what they might mean and how attitudes to them have changed over time. With their values on community engagement and making heritage accessible to all, Gary and Orla-Peach are such an inspiration for us and it was terrific to get the opportunity to chat with them.
…’We look up to her,
her ring-fort eyes,
her little slippy shoulders,
her nose incised and flat,
and feel light-headed in looking up.
She is twig-boned, saddle-sexed,
grown-up, grown ordinary,
seeming to say,
‘Yes, look at me to your heart’s content
but look at every other thing.’
Seamus Heaney, Extract from the poem 'Sheelagh na Gig', from 'Station Island' (1984).
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: Digital Heritage & the Sheela na Gig 3D Project
Duration: 53 mins.
Summary:
Discover how new techniques in digital heritage recording are helping us to better understand iconic features like Ireland’s sheela na gig sculptures in this chat with Orla-Peach Power & Gary Dempsey.
Episode 11 Digital Heritage and the Sheela na Gig 3D Project – Show Notes
You can find more on Digital Heritage Age on their website.
You can also discover a number of their models on Sketchfab.
The full collection of the Sheela na Gig Project models can be explored here.
Orla-Peach’s favourite recording – the beautiful 3D model of the Clonfert Madonna can be found here.
Gary’s favourite recording – the tomb of Phelim O’Connor in Roscommon Abbey can be found here.
You can also find more information and models of the Rathcroghan Project here.
The Discovery Programme also have a remarkable collection of 3D digital models that you can explore here.
The fantastic Ogham in 3D project website is here.
A blog that details the remarkable excavations at Must Farm in the UK have a great blogpost on photogrammetry here.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast
During this podcast series we will meet some of Ireland’s archaeologists to discuss the key periods, places and people that tell the story of Ireland, and we’ll gain new insights into the practice and techniques of modern Irish archaeology. This is the eleventh instalment of Amplify Archaeology, previous episodes have featured discussions on excavations at Kilkenny Castle and the Rock of Cashel, Living History, the Beaker People, History of Food, Passage Tombs, Castles, Mesolithic Ireland and Glendalough.
I’d love some feedback, so please do leave a comment below – and if you have any questions about Irish archaeology please do let me know, we can try to answer them in forthcoming episodes. Finally if you enjoyed this podcast I’d be really grateful if you could leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, or please share it and tell your friends.
The podcast is an Abarta Heritage production. It was recorded in the shadow of a Sheela na Gig in Fethard County Tipperary with Neil Jackman (the interviewer) Orla-Peach Power and Gary Dempsey. We are really grateful to Orla-Peach and Gary for their generosity and insights. The audio was edited with the assistance of Declan Lonergan of Bluebird Studios, County Kildare.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast is also available on
Dig into more stories with Amplify Archaeology Podcast
Episode 14 with Maeve Sikora & Matthew Seaver
The National Museum of Ireland
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 13 with Dr. Nora White
Ogham
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 12 with Dr. Damian Shiels
Conflict Archaeology
Amplify Archaeology
Please help to Amplify Archaeology by sharing this podcast
The post Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 11 – Digital Heritage and Sheela na Gig 3D appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
54 min
October 04, 2019Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 10 – The Lost Wing of Kilkenny Castle
Finding the Lost Wing of Kilkenny Castle
We join Cóilín Ó Drisceoil at Kilkenny Castle for a trench-side chat in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 10
Finding the Lost Wing of Kilkenny Castle
We join Cóilín Ó Drisceoil at Kilkenny Castle for a trench-side chat in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 10
Kilkenny Castle is one of our most visited monuments, and an iconic landmark in the city. But did you know that the shape of the castle was forever altered in the 19th century, when a whole wing was demolished? A new excavation by Cóilín Ó Drisceoil of Kilkenny Archaeology seeks to find and expose the missing wing of the castle. So we just had to go along to join Cóilín and his team for a trench-side chat.
Kilkenny Castle is surely one of the most familiar heritage sites in Ireland. The castle is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists every year, who enjoy the beautiful parklands and the grandeur of this former home of the Butler family. However, the castle that we know so well today is largely the result of centuries of development and renovation as each generation sought to tailor Kilkenny Castle to suit their needs.
The story of Kilkenny Castle is thought to begin with a motte and bailey constructed by Strongbow (Richard de Clare, Lord of Pembroke, one of the leaders of the Normans when they first arrived in Ireland). A motte and bailey was a typical fortification in the early phases of the Norman arrival in Ireland, typically consisting of an earthen mound topped with a wooden tower (if you’re interested in castle development in Ireland you might enjoy our episode on Irish Castles with Professor Tadhg O’Keeffe). Later, William Marshal began the construction of a mighty four sided fortress, and it is this castle that forms the core of the building that we know today – with one key exception – today Kilkenny Castle only has three sides, so what happened to the fourth wing?
An exciting excavation led by Cóilín Ó Drisceoil, and his team from Kilkenny Archaeology, has uncovered the fourth wing of the castle allowing us new glimpses into the story of this iconic site. As well as a better understanding of the construction of the castle, Cóilín and his team have discovered wonderful range of artefacts, including medieval pottery and a medieval harp tuning peg. The story of conflict at the castle has also been revealed with a number of musket balls associated with Cromwell’s siege of the castle in 1650.
In this edition of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast Neil visited the excavations to have a trench-side chat with Cóilín, who told us all about the remarkable history of Kilkenny Castle and the new discoveries made during the dig.
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AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: The Lost Wing of Kilkenny Castle
Duration: 29 mins.
Summary:
In this episode of the Amplify Archaeology podcast we join Cóilín Ó Drisceoil for a trench-side chat at his exciting excavation at Kilkenny Castle
Episode 10 – The Lost Wing of Kilkenny Castle – Show Notes
For more information and great images from the excavation please visit the Kilkenny Archaeology Facebook Page.
You can also find more information on Kilkenny Archaeology on their website.
For a discussion on the origins and development of castles in Ireland, please see the Castles episode of Amplify Archaeology.
William Marshal (c.1146–1219) is one of the most significant figures in Irish (and British) history. Cóilín, along with Michael Potterton and the late John Bradley edited a superb volume on William Marshal and Ireland. Available from Four Courts Press.
The excavations are now completed, but if you’d like to visit Kilkenny Castle you can find information on opening times and entry fees on the Office of Public Works Website.
You can also find an overview of its history and how to visit in our article on Tuatha.ie here.
The castle also features in Neil’s guidebook to Ireland’s Ancient East, along with 99 other wonderful heritage sites to explore. Available with free shipping from Kenny’s Bookshop.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast
During this podcast series we will meet some of Ireland’s archaeologists to discuss the key periods, places and people that tell the story of Ireland, and we’ll gain new insights into the practice and techniques of modern Irish archaeology. This is the tenth instalment of Amplify Archaeology, previous episodes have featured discussions on Living History, excavations at the Rock of Cashel, the Beaker People, History of Food, Passage Tombs, Castles, Mesolithic Ireland and Glendalough.
I’d love some feedback, so please do leave a comment below – and if you have any questions about Irish archaeology please do let me know, we can try to answer them in forthcoming episodes. Finally if you enjoyed this podcast I’d be really grateful if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or please share it and tell your friends.
The podcast is an Abarta Heritage production. It was recorded on site at Kilkenny Castle, with Neil Jackman (the interviewer), with Cóilín Ó Drisceoil and Kilkenny Archaeology. We are so grateful to Cóilín for his generosity with his time and insights during a busy dig.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast is also available on
Dig into more stories with Amplify Archaeology Podcast
Episode 3 with Prof. Tadhg O’Keeffe
Irish Castles
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 12 with Dr. Damian Shiels
Conflict Archaeology
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 8 with Dr. Patrick Gleeson
Excavations at the Rock of Cashel
Amplify Archaeology
Please help to Amplify Archaeology by sharing this podcast
The post Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 10 – The Lost Wing of Kilkenny Castle appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
29 min
September 13, 2019Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 9 – Living in the Past
Living History
Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 9 with Déise Medieval
Living History
Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 9 with Déise Medieval
During the Woodstown Viking Festival Day in Heritage Week, 2019, Neil had the opportunity to chat with a number of Living History re-enactors. In this podcast we learn about their motivations, and how they communicate the story of the past through lived experience.
Historical re-enactments and living history are a popular way for engaging the public with the story of past cultures. Whether it is demonstrations of battles and warfare, food, costume or crafts, the process of living history can allow people to gain a real and tangible sense of what life was like in the past. Ireland is fortunate to have a number of living history societies and organisations. One of the largest, Déise Medieval, were integral to the Viking Heritage Day Heritage Week event at Woodstown, on the outskirts of Waterford City. We took the opportunity to chat with some of the re-enactors to discover how they got involved in living history and how it has shaped their view of the past.
In this edition of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast Neil was joined by Denise Colbert (Déise Medieval), Jessica de Burca (Montague Heritage Services), Dolores Kearney (UCD School of Archaeology), Kate Gwilliam (Vikings UK), Paul Kavanagh (Leix Vikings), Ayanna Raiha, Maria Kraing, Clare Horgan (Déise Medieval). Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to speak with me on a very busy day!
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: Living History
Duration: 36 mins.
Summary:
In this episode of Amplify Archaeology Podcast, Neil chats with re-enactors to discover how living history can help us to understand the past
Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 9 Living in the Past – Show Notes
This podcast was recorded live at the Viking Heritage Day at Woodstown on the Waterford Greenway, a wonderful Heritage Week event!
You can find out more on the story of Viking Woodstown with our free audiobook – available from our website, and on Spotify, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Acast or wherever you like to get your podcasts.
You can find Déise Medieval on Facebook.
You’ll also hear fantastic music from Ulfhednar Hird Ireland who provided a blood pumping soundtrack for the battles!
Here’s a link to Jessica de Burca’s Montague Heritage Services website.
You can discover more about Dolores Kearney’s experimental archaeology project with textiles from her blog.
Here’s a link to Viking’s UK.
You can discover more about Ayanna Raiha’s work in Norse spirituality from her website.
We’re currently working on a Conservation Management Plan for Viking Woodstown on behalf of Waterford City and County Council and we hope to share some of this work in the coming weeks.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast
During this podcast series we will meet some of Ireland’s archaeologists to discuss the key periods, places and people that tell the story of Ireland, and we’ll gain new insights into the practice and techniques of modern Irish archaeology. This is the seventh instalment of Amplify Archaeology, previous episodes have featured discussions on Kingship at Cashel, Beaker People, History of Food, Passage Tombs, Castles, Mesolithic Ireland and Glendalough.
I’d love some feedback, so please do leave a comment below – and if you have any questions about Irish archaeology please do let me know, we can try to answer them in forthcoming episodes. Finally if you enjoyed this podcast I’d be really grateful if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or please share it and tell your friends.
The podcast is an Abarta Heritage production. It was produced with the support of sound engineer Declan Lonergan in Bluebird Studios, County Kildare.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast is also available on
Please help to Amplify Archaeology by sharing this podcast
Dig into more stories with Amplify Archaeology Podcast
Episode 11; Orla-Peach Power & Gary Dempsey
Digital Heritage & Sheela-na-gigs
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Episode 10 with Cóilín Ó Drisceoil
Excavations at Kilkenny Castle
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Episode 8 with Dr. Patrick Gleeson
Excavations at the Rock of Cashel
Amplify Archaeology
Please help to Amplify Archaeology by sharing this podcast
The post Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 9 – Living in the Past appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
36 min
August 09, 2019Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 8 – Cashel of the Kings
Excavations at the Rock of Cashel
We join Dr. Patrick Gleeson at the Rock of Cashel for a trench-side chat in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 8
Excavations at the Rock of Cashel
We join Dr. Patrick Gleeson at the Rock of Cashel for a trench-side chat in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 8
Join us for a trench-side chat with Dr. Patrick Gleeson and his team at their exciting excavations at the Rock of Cashel to uncover the story of the early origins of this iconic site.
The Rock of Cashel is undoubtedly one of the most iconic heritage sites in Ireland. When you visit the site today, you can encounter Cormac’s Chapel, the Round Tower, the Cathedral and the High Cross that allow you to experience the might and splendour of medieval Irish Christianity. But the Rock of Cashel did not begin as an ecclesiastical site, it was once a royal site, the seat of the Eóganachta, who were Kings of Munster. They dominated the region from around the 6th or 7th century AD, but from around the 10th century, the Eóganachta were eclipsed by the Dál Cais, a dynasty whose eventual leader, the famous Brian Boru, was the first king to gain effective control of all of Ireland. It was a great-grandson of Brian Boru, Muirchertach Ua Briain, who donated the Rock of Cashel to the Church in 1101 AD. This wasn’t only an act of religious piety on the part of Muirchertach, but it was a shrewd political move – in one stroke he had denied the Eóganachta their ancestral seat of power.
An exciting project seeks to discover the regal roots of the Rock of Cashel, along with a number of other sites in Ireland and Britain. Comparative Kingship: the early medieval Kingdoms of Northern Britain and Ireland, is a collaborative project between the University of Aberdeen, Queens University Belfast and the University of Glasgow. The project aims to undertake a detailed study of three major polities: Pictland, Scotland; Dál Riata, Northern Ireland; and Munster, Ireland. The project will synthesize and compare the results of these case studies to help us better understand Northern Europe during the first millennium AD, as well as contribute to broader debates regarding this transformative period of history.
Dr Patrick Gleeson of Queens University Belfast and his team have been carrying out geophysical surveys at Cashel that have revealed an extensive series of unrecorded archaeological features indicative of a vast complex in the immediate vicinity of the Rock of Cashel. The character of these new features suggests the location developed from a major fortified site during the 5th and 6th century AD, and was later transformed into a major ceremonial seat of kingship and of the early Church.
In this edition of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast Neil visited the Rock of Cashel where he chatted with Patrick to learn more about this important project, and how the results of the excavation help us to better understand this iconic site. This podcast was recorded quite literally in the field, so there will be a bit of background noise – a little wind and a lot of heckling sheep!
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: Excavations at the Rock of Cashel
Duration: 30 mins.
Summary:
Join us for a trench-side chat with Dr. Patrick Gleeson and his team at their exciting excavations at the Rock of Cashel to uncover the story of the early origins of this iconic site.
Episode 8 Cashel of the Kings – Show Notes
The excavation is part of the collaborative project: Comparative Kingship: the early medieval Kingdoms of Northern Britain and Ireland.
If you’d like to visit the Rock of Cashel (and it is well worth the trip!) you can find information on opening times and entry fees here.
You can find more information on the Northern Picts Project here.
You can see a lovely video on the site at Rhynie, Aberdeenshire here.
There’s a short piece in the Irish Times on the Discovery Programme’s Late Iron Age Roman Ireland project from 2012, unfortunately I can’t seem to find a copy of the excellent publication for sale online. It appears it may be out of print, though I am reliably informed that there may be some copies available in the ever-dependable Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop in Galway City.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast
During this podcast series we will meet some of Ireland’s archaeologists to discuss the key periods, places and people that tell the story of Ireland, and we’ll gain new insights into the practice and techniques of modern Irish archaeology. This is the eighth instalment of Amplify Archaeology, previous episodes have featured discussions on mortuary practice at Carrowkeel, Beaker People, History of Food, Passage Tombs, Castles, Mesolithic Ireland and Glendalough.
I’d love some feedback, so please do leave a comment below – and if you have any questions about Irish archaeology please do let me know, we can try to answer them in forthcoming episodes. Finally if you enjoyed this podcast I’d be really grateful if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or please share it and tell your friends.
The podcast is an Abarta Heritage production. It was recorded at the excavation at the Rock of Cashel, County Tipperary, with Neil Jackman (the interviewer), and Dr. Patrick Gleeson. We are really grateful to Patrick, Cóilín and the excavation team for taking time out of a busy excavation to talk with us.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast is also available on
Dig into more stories with Amplify Archaeology Podcast
Episode 3 with Prof. Tadhg O’Keeffe
Irish Castles
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 10 with Cóilín Ó Drisceoil
Excavations at Kilkenny Castle
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 1; Conor MacDermott & Graeme Warren
Excavations at Glendalough
Amplify Archaeology
Please help to Amplify Archaeology by sharing this podcast
The post Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 8 – Cashel of the Kings appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
30 min
July 10, 2019Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 7 – Carrowkeel
Neolithic Mortuary Practice at Carrowkeel
Dig into the Story of the Way of Death at Carrowkeel in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 7
Neolithic Mortuary Practice at Carrowkeel
Dig into the Story of the Way of Death at Carrowkeel in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 7
A number of the tombs in the incredible passage tomb complex of Carrowkeel in County Sligo were excavated in 1911. Much of the evidence from those early digs lay quietly in boxes for decades, until a recent multidisciplinary project re-examined the evidence. What they found has provided remarkable insights into life and death in Neolithic Ireland.
The first detailed investigation of the human remains from the Carrowkeel passage tomb complex since their excavation in 1911 has revealed several new and important insights about life, death, and mortuary practice in Neolithic Ireland. This project was carried out by Doctors Thomas Kador, Lara Cassidy, Jonny Geber, Robert Hensey, Pádraig Meehan and Sam Moore in a multidisciplinary project that combined archaeology, osteoarchaeological examination of human remains and DNA analysis to gain new insights into Neolithic Ireland. In this edition of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast Neil was joined by Lara Cassidy, Pádraig Meehan, Robert Hensey, and Thomas Kador for a group discussion on the exciting results of the project, and how it sheds light onto life and death in Neolithic Ireland.
Some of the discussion includes the results of the osteological analysis of the human remains. This analysis provides the first conclusive proof for the occurrence of dismemberment of the dead at Irish passage tombs, practised contemporarily with cremation as one of a suite of funerary treatments. The research also highlights changes in burial tradition at the complex over the course of the Neolithic, and provides a chronology for these changes that allows them to be linked to wider trends in monument construction. Multi-isotope analysis hints at the presence of non-local individuals among the interred and the possible existence of different food sourcing areas at the onset of the later Neolithic period. Intriguingly, the preliminary results from ancient DNA sequencing of six individuals from Carrowkeel provides evidence for the genetic ancestry of Irish Neolithic populations, demonstrating their Anatolian origins and links along the Atlantic façade.
(please note, parts of the discussion about the mortuary practice is quite graphic in nature and may not be suitable for all audiences).
‘I lit three candles and stood awhile, to let my eyes accustom themselves to the dim light. There was everything just as the last Bronze Age man [sic] had left it, three to four thousand years before. A light brownish dust covered all…’
Robert Lloyd Praeger, 'The Way That I Went' (1937)
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: The Archaeological Landscapes of St Patrick
Duration: 1 hour 20 mins.
Summary:
The reappraisal of human remains and artefacts that were first excavated from Carrowkeel in 1911 has revealed some astonishing new insights into the treatment of the dead in Neolithic Ireland. In this episode of Amplify Archaeology, Neil was joined by the multi-disciplinary project team, to talk about ancient DNA, belief, and the best way to carry a body up a mountain.
Episode 7 The Way of Death at Carrowkeel – Show Notes
This podcast is based on the paper ‘Rites of Passage: Mortuary Practice, Population Dynamics, and Chronology at the Carrowkeel Passage Tomb Complex, Co. Sligo, Ireland’ first published in the Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society and also available from UCL Discovery.
A detailed discussion of the postmortem treatment of the dead at Carrowkeel can be found in Bioarchaeology International. Also available through UCL Discovery.
Further information can be found in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology. Also available through UCL Discovery.
It is also well worth digging into A century of archaeology—historical excavation and modern research at the Carrowkeel passage tombs, County Sligo, an article in the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy by Robert Hensey, Pádraig Meehan, Marion Dowd and Sam Moore.
For an excellent and insightful overview into Ireland’s passage tombs we highly recommend First Light; the Origins of Newgrange by Robert Hensey. Published by Oxbow Books.
The story of the discovery and ‘decoding’ of the bones in the Duckworth Institute is detailed in an article for the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (€).
If you’re around Sligo on the 30th July 2019 you can hear Robert and Pádraig at the Blue Raincoat Theatre. Tickets are available here.
You can also hear more about Ireland’s passage tombs in Episode 4 of Amplify Archaeology, when Neil met Dr. Jessica Smyth to learn about Passage Tomb People.
You can also find our miniseries on the Winter Solstice at Newgrange here, and Episode 4 featured Robert for a wide ranging discussion about Neolithic belief and meaning, art, time and communication.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast
During this podcast series we will meet some of Ireland’s archaeologists to discuss the key periods, places and people that tell the story of Ireland, and we’ll gain new insights into the practice and techniques of modern Irish archaeology. This is the seventh instalment of Amplify Archaeology, previous episodes have featured discussions on the Beaker People, History of Food, Passage Tombs, Castles, Mesolithic Ireland and Glendalough.
I’d love some feedback, so please do leave a comment below – and if you have any questions about Irish archaeology please do let me know, we can try to answer them in forthcoming episodes. Finally if you enjoyed this podcast I’d be really grateful if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or please share it and tell your friends.
The podcast is an Abarta Heritage production. It was recorded with sound engineer Declan Lonergan in Bluebird Studios, County Kildare, with Neil Jackman (the interviewer), with Lara Cassidy, Pádraig Meehan, Robert Hensey, and Thomas Kador. We are really grateful to them all for their generosity and insights.
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 18 with Dr. Robert Hensey
Newgrange Podcast Miniseries; Part 4
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 4 with Dr. Jessica Smyth
Passage Tombs
Amplify Archaeology
Please help to Amplify Archaeology by sharing this podcast
The post Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 7 – Carrowkeel appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
1 hr 21 min
June 07, 2019Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 6 – Beaker People
Beaker People and the Chalcolithic Period
Dr. Neil Carlin introduces us to the Beaker People in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 6
Beaker People and the Chalcolithic Period
Dr. Neil Carlin introduces us to the Beaker People in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 6
Who were the Beaker People? And just how far does technology change culture? Join us for a fascinating discussion on the Beaker Period and Chalcolithic Ireland with Dr. Neil Carlin.
The first metal objects began to be made in Ireland from around the middle of the third millennium BC, from approximately 2500 BC onwards. This coincides with a particular sort of material culture, that includes evidence of archery and a particular sort of pottery vessel known as Beakers, as well as the first copper and gold objects. These artefacts are found elsewhere in Europe, and the prevalence and distinctive nature of the pottery has led to it being known as the Beaker Period or the Beaker Phenomenon. But are these objects evidence of people from outside moving into Ireland? If so, who were the Beaker People? And just how far does technology change culture?
In this episode of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast Neil had the opportunity to discuss this with Dr. Neil Carlin of UCD School of Archaeology, who has recently produced a superb publication on the Beaker Phenomenon for Sidestone Press. The book uses an innovative approach that reassesses some of the assumptions we have about this era, by interlinking the study of the famous Beaker pottery and other artefacts with the context of their discovery to better understand social practices within settlements, funerary monuments, ceremonial settings and natural places. It also places the Irish evidence of the Beaker period in its international context. The publication: ‘The Beaker Phenomenon? Understanding the Character and Context of Social Practices in Ireland 2500–2000 BC’ is available from Sidestone Press, and thanks to the generosity of Neil and Sidestone Press it can be read online for free from this link.
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST
Title: Meet the Beaker People
Duration: 40 mins.
Summary:
Dr. Neil Carlin introduces us to the Beaker People and Chalcolithic Ireland in Episode 6 of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast.
Episode 6 Beaker People and Chalcolithic Ireland – Show Notes
I can’t recommend Neil’s book The Beaker Phenomenon? highly enough, it really is worth checking out – and you can read it online for free!
As Neil says at the end of the podcast, one of the best places to get a glimpse into the material culture of this period is in our wonderful (and free) National Museum of Ireland on Kildare Street. There you can find examples of the pottery, the wonderful archer’s wristguards and of course the beautiful, blingy, gold!
Speaking of the National Museum and gold, no-one understands it better than Mary Cahill, former Keeper of Irish Antiquities National Museum of Ireland. Mary has numerous articles about Ireland’s gold, including this one about sun symbolism on gold discs and lunalae from Archaeology Ireland that you can read on Academia.edu.
For more insight on those beautiful archer’s wrist bracers see Bracers or Bracelets? About the functionality and meaning of Bell Beaker Wrist-guards by Maikel Kuijpers and Harry Fokkens.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast
During this podcast series we will meet some of Ireland’s archaeologists to discuss the key periods, places and people that tell the story of Ireland, and we’ll gain new insights into the practice and techniques of modern Irish archaeology. This is the sixth instalment of Amplify Archaeology, previous episodes have featured discussions on the History of Food, Passage Tombs, Castles, Mesolithic Ireland and Glendalough.
I’d love some feedback, so please do leave a comment below – and if you have any questions about Irish archaeology please do let me know, we can try to answer them in forthcoming episodes. Finally if you enjoyed this podcast I’d be really grateful if you could leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, or please share it and tell your friends.
The podcast is an Abarta Heritage production. It was recorded on location by Neil Jackman (the interviewer), with Dr Neil Carlin. We are so grateful to Neil for his generosity with his time and insights.
Amplify Archaeology Podcast is also available on
Dig into more stories with Amplify Archaeology Podcast
Episode 15 with Prof. Muiris O’Sullivan
Newgrange Podcast Miniseries; Part 1
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 7; Lara Cassidy, Robert Hensey et al
Neolithic Mortuary Practice at Carrowkeel
Amplify Archaeology
Episode 4 with Dr. Jessica Smyth
Passage Tombs
Amplify Archaeology
Please help to Amplify Archaeology by sharing this podcast
The post Amplify Archaeology Podcast – Episode 6 – Beaker People appeared first on Abarta Heritage Home.
40 min