Thefourtharticleinourmonthlyheritageseriesfocusesonarchaeology,thework ... · 2015-07-26 ·...
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11 ANALYSIS Irish Examiner Monday 16.12.2013 XX1 - V1 ■ This article is the fourth in a series of articles published by the National Monuments Service of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in conjunction with The Irish Examiner and Limerick Education Centre aiming to supplement the recently revised second edition of ‘Archaeology in Classroom, Time in Transition’. The resource offers a comprehensive range of engaging lessons across a series of three themes: Worship and Commemoration; Lifestyle and Living; Archaeology at Work. All the lessons are targeted (but not exclusively) at students who are undertaking the Transition Year Option. In this article the focus is on the concept of commemoration; the archaeological and historical evidence of its development and its relevance today. For a more complete picture this article should be read in conjunction with Theme I, Unit 4, Lessons 1 and 2 of Time in Transition available on www.itsabouttime.ie. The fourth article in our monthly heritage series focuses on archaeology, the work of an archaeologist and how archaeological research informs us about our past The mysteries of archaeology unearthed Clockwise from main: Soil sieving to find charcoal and small bones and seeds; inside a zoo-archaeological lab; excavations at Taney, Dundrum, Co Dublin; identifying seeds in the lab. Through examination of our monuments we can see the traditions, styles and influences that have been carried forward into our daily lives. Pictures: Limerick Education Centre, Chris Corlett/NMS Lara Croft: The Tomb Raider protagonist is not your typical archaeologist. W HAT image springs to mind when you hear and see the word archaeologist? Is it Lara Croft searching for a mythical artefact among the ruins of an ancient civilisation? Or people in muddy, yellow jackets and hard hats brandishing trowels and paintbrushes? Working in archaeology often involves trowels, hard hats and mud and, in reality, it is never as action-packed as Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones, but perhaps not surprisingly the Hollywood version of archaeology tends to be one of its enduring associations. Archaeology is the study of past cultures and societies through the examination of the material remains they have left behind, namely the monuments in our landscape and the artefacts associated with them. If you look at the buildings in your town, or the monuments in the countryside, you may focus on those monuments that are immediately visible, such as a castle or church, but have you thought about what may be buried beneath your feet or lying at the bottom of the sea? Some archaeological monuments survive below ground with no visible trace on the surface. These monuments are like the secrets of our past, only coming to light after being disturbed accidentally or re- vealed by archaeological excavation. Our landscape has changed over thousands of years, with each gener- ation gradually eroding some of the traces of those who lived before them. Some monuments survive because of their physical size or fabric, or because they have been protected by local tradition. Nature also plays a role in ensur- ing the preservation of monuments. Take for example the Céide Fields, a Stone Age field system that was preserved by a bog that gradually developed as the landscape changed in north Mayo, or the ancient trackways and bog bodies that have survived in the midlands because the peatland environment preserves organic material, such as wood. Less dramatic changes in the landscape have also led to the preservation and protection of archaeological monuments. A dense covering of overgrowth or the gradual grassing-over of a monument can often help their preservation as they slowly become ‘absorbed’ into the land- scape, often being mistaken for a natural feature. For example, the grass-covered ‘hills’ we pass daily may in fact protect a passage tomb or barrow burial. Whether clearly visible, pre- served beneath the ground or in the sea, all monuments tell us something important about our past — how our ancestors lived (and died) and how this is reflect- ed in our lives today. Through examination of our monuments we can see the traditions, styles and influences that have been carried forward into our daily lives, from art to architecture, rituals to burial practices, from how we cele- brate and commemorate, to the changes in how we defend ourselves and navigate by land and sea. Archaeologists also gather information from sources such as historical documents, maps, aerial photographs and through fieldwork, though local knowledge is also an important source of information. Most landowners are very knowledge- able and proud of the monuments on their land. Field archaeologists often find that landowners have valuable information about known and ‘new’ monuments, as well as the folklore and history associated with them. Through collating all of this information and making compar- isons with other monuments here and abroad, archaeologists can piece together the story of our culture, how it has developed and changed, and why we are the people we are today. A lot of our information has come from studying and surveying monuments. Field survey, remote sensing and geophysical survey, as well as aerial photographs and carto- graphic research have helped to build a picture of our field monu- ments and the subsurface features associated with them. The Archaeological Survey of Ireland (ASI), as part of the National Monuments Service (NMS), has led the way over the last 50 years in the discovery, recording and protection of monuments of Ireland. The pur- pose of the ASI is to compile an inventory of archaeological monu- ments in the State. The information gathered is stored on a database and in a series of paper files in the NMS archive. The database and archive contain records of all known or possible monuments pre-dating AD 1700 and also includes a selection of monuments from the post-AD 1700 period. There are almost 150,000 records in the database and approximately 138,000 of these relate to archaeological monuments. Most of these monuments have been entered into the Record of Monuments and Places (RMP) and are now protected under the National Monuments Act (for more information about the ASI and the RMP visit www.archaeology.ie). Surveys and excavations are also carried out by archaeologists in the Underwater Archaeology Unit (UAU) of the NMS. This has resulted in the estab- lishment of The Shipwreck Inven- tory of Ireland (SII), providing a better picture of our marine, riverine and military heritage, from prehistoric dug-out canoes to early medieval wooden bridges and 16th-century Spanish Armada wrecks. In addition to survey, archaeo- logical excavation is one of the most common methods of finding out about our past. Excavation allows archaeologists to gather information about all kinds of monuments, whether they are upstanding, buried or submerged. It can tell us a lot about the form, fabric, function and date of monuments, how they evolved over time and the major events in their lifecycle. For example the evidence of attack on a medieval castle or shipwreck, or the abandonment of a settlement after a fire, can often be detected. In Ireland, all archaeological ex- cavations are carried out by pro- fessionally-qualified archaeologists licensed by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. A licence is also required to use a metal detector for archaeological purposes and to carry out certain specialist surveys. The main reasons for archaeological excavation are for research purposes or in advance of development. In both cases, excavation involves documentary and map research, possible geo- physical survey, as well as detailed recording, planning and excava- tion techniques. Archaeological excavation is based on the geological principal of stratigraphy, where each layer of soil is treated as an individual event in time — the bottom layer being the oldest ‘event’ and each successive layer above this becom- ing younger or earlier ‘events’ as you approach ground levels. So, the most recent layer could be the sod in a field or the tarmac in a carpark. The archaeologist records, plans and excavates each layer, starting with the most recent (top) layer. Within each of these layers there may be differences in soil colour and texture that an experi- enced archaeologist will recognise as features associated with that soil layer. When excavated, these features may represent the remains of posts that once formed part of a timber structure, or the founda- tion trench that supported a wat- tle-and-daub wall. Some larger features may be defensive ditches outside medieval towns, or hearths or rubbish pits. The recording of these features gradually builds the picture of the monument, what it was used for, whether people lived, worked or celebrated there, when it was in use and for how long. This information is often corroborated and enhanced by post-excavation analysis of the materials recorded. For more information in the processes involved go to www.itsabouttime.ie Theme 3, Units 2-4. Most archaeologists directing an excavation will have specialists on hand to advise on artefact retrieval, identification and con- servation, as well as environmental sampling and human/animal bone analysis. Today, many archaeolo- gists specialise in these areas of post-excavation analysis and can tell us much more about the monuments and the people associated with them. Information about past populations and cultures can be obtained from human remains. These are often found in associa- tion with early Christian or medieval burial grounds, or as isolated prehistoric burials. Specialists called osteoarchaeolo- gists are required on-site to advise on human remains, so that details about the lifestyle of that particu- lar population, their diet and how healthy they were can be postulat- ed. Osteoarchaeologists can often detect accidental or violent injuries — which can also tell us about lifestyle — as well as the ill- nesses that people may have suf- fered from. Zooarchaeologists specialise in identifying animal bone and, along with environmental archae- ologists, provide us with im- portant information about past environments and how they changed over time. Togeth- er, this range of specialists can give accurate in- formation on so- cieties, the ani- mals being bred and eaten, the crops and plants being grown and harvested, the wild nuts and berries being gathered and stored, even the type of wood being used for construction — all at a partic- ular site or period in time. Post-excavation analysis also in- cludes pottery and flint specialists, as well as conservators — and very often it is all this expertise, along with carbon dates from soil and charcoal samples, that help ar- chaeologists to date a site or mon- ument to a certain time in our past and interpret its story through time (see www.discoverypro- gramme.ie or www.excava- tions.ie). While most people think of archaeologists as excavators and fieldworkers, many archaeologists work in universities and colleges, where they not only foster an un- derstanding and appreciation of our heritage, but also carry out research that adds to our knowledge of the past. Archaeologists also work in government departments and local authorities, providing advice on planning and development, legislation, policy and codes of practice. With the recent advances in science and technology, archaeologists have ac- cess to scientific tech- niques like LiDAR and geophysics. Ar- chaeology is so much more than scraping the ground with a trowel or washing bones in a basin. It is integral to the protection of our heritage for future generations. Archaeologists are not just ‘interested’ in the past, they help to provide us with important information about our history and ancient heritage. They often shed new light on known historical events, enabling a flow of information and knowledge between our educational institutions and legislative and protection agencies. The information gathered by ar- chaeologists about our monuments and artefacts, past populations and environments ensures our archaeo- logical and historical heritage is bet- ter understood, appreciated and pro- tected. ANCIENT LANDSCAPE Visit www.ceidefields.com to find out more about this ancient landscape. SECRETS OF OUR BOGS Go to http://exa.mn/1iz to find out more fascinating facts about the bog bodies that have been discovered in various parts of Ireland. ■ Go to Theme 3 Unit 3 to become a Ceramic Detective. And find out more about what’s involved in pottery analysis. LIGHT DETECTION LiDAR – Light Detection And Ranging is a remote sensing technology that uses a laser to collect height and elevational data. The laser emits a light pulse and the time taken for the pulse to return back to a sensor is recorded, giving a distance between objects. Geophysics is the non- invasive investigation of subsurface conditions in the earth through measur- ing, analysing and interpret- ing physical fields at the surface. Some of the meth- ods commonly employed in- clude: electromagnet- ics, ground-penetrating radar and resistivity.
Transcript of Thefourtharticleinourmonthlyheritageseriesfocusesonarchaeology,thework ... · 2015-07-26 ·...
User:eddiebuttDate:15/12/2013Time:18:21:25Edition:16/12/2013ExaminerLiveXX1612Page:11Color:
11ANALYSISIrish ExaminerMonday 16.12.2013
XX1 - V1
■ This article is the fourth in a series of articles published by the NationalMonuments Service of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltachtin conjunction with The Irish Examiner and Limerick Education Centreaiming to supplement the recently revised second edition of ‘Archaeologyin Classroom, Time in Transition’. The resource offers a comprehensiverange of engaging lessons across a series of three themes: Worship andCommemoration; Lifestyle and Living; Archaeology at Work. All thelessons are targeted (but not exclusively) at students who are undertakingthe Transition Year Option. In this article the focus is on the concept ofcommemoration; the archaeological and historical evidence of itsdevelopment and its relevance today. For a more complete picture thisarticle should be read in conjunction with Theme I, Unit 4, Lessons 1 and 2of Time in Transition available on www.itsabouttime.ie.
The fourth article in our monthly heritage series focuses on archaeology, the workof an archaeologist and how archaeological research informs us about our past
The mysteriesof archaeologyunearthed
Clockwise from main: Soil sieving to find charcoal and smallbones and seeds; inside a zoo-archaeological lab;excavations at Taney, Dundrum, Co Dublin; identifying seedsin the lab. Through examination of our monuments we cansee the traditions, styles and influences that have beencarried forward into our daily lives.
Pictures: Limerick Education Centre, Chris Corlett/NMS
LaraCroft:TheTomb Raiderprotagonistis not yourtypicalarchaeologist.
W HAT image springsto mind when youhear and seethe wordarchaeologist?
Is it Lara Croft searching for amythical artefact among the ruinsof an ancient civilisation? Or peoplein muddy, yellow jackets and hardhats brandishing trowels andpaintbrushes?Working in archaeology often
involves trowels, hard hats and mudand, in reality, it is never asaction-packed as Tomb Raider orIndiana Jones, but perhaps notsurprisingly the Hollywood versionof archaeology tends to be one of itsenduring associations.Archaeology is the study of past
cultures and societies through theexamination of the material remainsthey have left behind, namely themonuments in our landscapeand the artefactsassociated withthem.If you look at
the buildings inyour town, or themonuments in the
countryside, you may focus on thosemonuments that are immediatelyvisible, such as a castle or church,but have you thought about whatmay be buried beneathyour feet or lying at the bottom ofthe sea?Some archaeological monuments
survive below ground with novisible trace on the surface. Thesemonuments are like the secrets ofour past, only coming to light afterbeing disturbed accidentally or re-vealed by archaeological excavation.Our landscape has changed over
thousands of years, with each gener-ation gradually eroding some of thetraces of those who lived beforethem. Some monuments survivebecause of their physical size orfabric, or because they have beenprotected by local tradition.Nature also plays a role in ensur-
ing the preservation of monuments.Take for example the Céide Fields,a Stone Age field system that waspreserved by a bog that graduallydeveloped as the landscape changedin north Mayo, or the ancienttrackways and bog bodies thathave survived in the midlandsbecause the peatland environment
preserves organic material, such aswood.Less dramatic changes in the
landscape have also led to thepreservation and protection ofarchaeological monuments. Adense covering of overgrowth orthe gradual grassing-over of amonument can often help theirpreservation as they slowlybecome ‘absorbed’ into the land-scape, often being mistaken for anatural feature. For example, the
grass-covered ‘hills’ we pass dailymay in fact protect a passagetomb or barrow burial.Whether clearly visible, pre-
served beneath the ground or inthe sea, all monuments tell ussomething important about ourpast — how our ancestors lived(and died) and how this is reflect-ed in our lives today.Through examination of ourmonuments we can see thetraditions, styles and influencesthat have been carried forwardinto our daily lives, from art toarchitecture, rituals to burialpractices, from how we cele-brate and commemorate, tothe changes in how we defendourselves and navigate by land andsea.Archaeologists also gather
information from sources suchas historical documents, maps,aerial photographs and throughfieldwork, though localknowledge is also an importantsource of information. Mostlandowners are very knowledge-able and proud of the monumentson their land. Field archaeologistsoften find that landowners havevaluable information about knownand ‘new’ monuments, as well asthe folklore and history associatedwith them.Through collating all of this
information and making compar-isons with other monuments hereand abroad, archaeologists canpiece together the story of ourculture, how it has developed andchanged, and why we are thepeople we are today.A lot of our information has
come from studying and surveyingmonuments.Field survey, remote sensing
and geophysical survey, as well asaerial photographs and carto-graphic research have helped tobuild a picture of our field monu-ments and the subsurface featuresassociated with them.The Archaeological Survey of
Ireland (ASI), as part of theNational Monuments Service(NMS), has led the way over thelast 50 years in the discovery,recording and protection ofmonuments of Ireland. The pur-pose of the ASI is to compile aninventory of archaeological monu-ments in the State.The information gathered is
stored on a database and in aseries of paper files in the NMSarchive. The database and archivecontain records of all known orpossible monuments pre-datingAD 1700 and also includes aselection of monuments from thepost-AD 1700 period. There arealmost 150,000 records in thedatabase and approximately138,000 of these relate to
archaeological monuments.Most of these monuments
have been entered into theRecord of Monuments and Places(RMP) and are now protectedunder the National MonumentsAct (for more information aboutthe ASI and the RMP visitwww.archaeology.ie).Surveys and excavations are also
carried out by archaeologists inthe Underwater Archaeology Unit(UAU) of the NMS.This has resulted in the estab-
lishment of The Shipwreck Inven-tory of Ireland (SII), providing abetter picture of our marine,riverine and military heritage,from prehistoric dug-out canoesto early medieval wooden bridgesand 16th-century Spanish Armadawrecks.In addition to survey, archaeo-
logical excavation is one of themost common methods of findingout about our past. Excavationallows archaeologists to gatherinformation about all kinds ofmonuments, whether they areupstanding, buried or submerged.It can tell us a lot about the form,fabric, function and date ofmonuments, how they evolvedover time and the major eventsin their lifecycle.For example the evidence of
attack on a medieval castle orshipwreck, or the abandonment ofa settlement after a fire, can oftenbe detected.In Ireland, all archaeological ex-
cavations are carried out by pro-fessionally-qualified archaeologistslicensed by the Department ofArts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.A licence is also required to use
a metal detector for archaeologicalpurposes and to carry out certainspecialist surveys.The main reasons for
archaeological excavation are forresearch purposes or in advance ofdevelopment. In both cases,excavation involves documentaryand map research, possible geo-physical survey, as well as detailedrecording, planning and excava-tion techniques.Archaeological excavation is
based on the geological principalof stratigraphy, where each layerof soil is treated as an individualevent in time — the bottom layerbeing the oldest ‘event’ and eachsuccessive layer above this becom-ing younger or earlier ‘events’ asyou approach ground levels. So,the most recent layer could be thesod in a field or the tarmac in acarpark. The archaeologistrecords, plans and excavates eachlayer, starting with the mostrecent (top) layer.Within each of these layers
there may be differences in soilcolour and texture that an experi-enced archaeologist will recogniseas features associated with that soillayer. When excavated, thesefeatures may represent the remains
of posts that once formed part ofa timber structure, or the founda-tion trench that supported a wat-tle-and-daub wall. Some largerfeatures may be defensive ditchesoutside medieval towns, or hearthsor rubbish pits.The recording of these features
gradually builds the picture of themonument, what it was used for,
whether people lived, worked orcelebrated there, when it was inuse and for how long. Thisinformation is often corroboratedand enhanced by post-excavationanalysis of the materials recorded.For more information in the
processes involved go towww.itsabouttime.ie Theme 3,Units 2-4.Most archaeologists directing an
excavation will have specialistson hand to advise on artefactretrieval, identification and con-servation, as well as environmentalsampling and human/animal boneanalysis. Today, many archaeolo-gists specialise in these areas ofpost-excavation analysis and cantell us much more about themonuments and the peopleassociated with them.Information about past
populations and cultures can beobtained from human remains.These are often found in associa-tion with early Christian ormedieval burial grounds, or asisolated prehistoric burials.Specialists called osteoarchaeolo-
gists are required on-site to adviseon human remains, so that detailsabout the lifestyle of that particu-lar population, their diet and howhealthy they were can be postulat-
ed. Osteoarchaeologists can oftendetect accidental or violentinjuries — which can also tell usabout lifestyle — as well as the ill-nesses that people may have suf-fered from.Zooarchaeologists specialise in
identifying animal bone and,along with environmental archae-ologists, provide us with im-portant information aboutpast environments andhow they changedover time. Togeth-er, this range ofspecialists cangive accurate in-formation on so-cieties, the ani-mals being bredand eaten, thecrops and plantsbeing grown andharvested, the wildnuts and berries beinggathered and stored, eventhe type of wood being usedfor construction — all at a partic-ular site or period in time.Post-excavation analysis also in-
cludes pottery and flint specialists,as well as conservators — andvery often it is all this expertise,along with carbon dates from soiland charcoal samples, that help ar-chaeologists to date a site or mon-ument to a certain time in ourpast and interpret its story throughtime (see www.discoverypro-gramme.ie or www.excava-tions.ie).While most people think of
archaeologists as excavators andfieldworkers, many archaeologists
work in universities and colleges,where they not only foster an un-derstanding and appreciation of ourheritage, but also carry out researchthat adds to our knowledge of thepast. Archaeologists also work ingovernment departments and localauthorities, providing advice onplanning anddevelopment, legislation, policy
and codes of practice.With the recent advancesinscience and technology,archaeologists have ac-cess to scientific tech-niques like LiDARand geophysics. Ar-chaeology is so muchmore than scrapingthe ground with atrowel or washingbones in a basin. It isintegral to the protection
of our heritage for futuregenerations.
Archaeologists are not just‘interested’ in the past, they help toprovide us with importantinformation about our history andancient heritage.They often shed new light on
known historical events, enabling aflow of information and knowledgebetween our educational institutionsand legislative and protectionagencies.The information gathered by ar-
chaeologists about our monumentsand artefacts, past populations andenvironments ensures our archaeo-logical and historical heritage is bet-ter understood, appreciated and pro-tected.
ANCIENT LANDSCAPE
Visit www.ceidefields.com tofind out more about thisancient landscape.
SECRETS OF OUR BOGS
Go to http://exa.mn/1iz to findout more fascinating factsabout the bog bodies that havebeen discovered in variousparts of Ireland.
■ Go to Theme 3 Unit 3 tobecome a CeramicDetective. And find outmore about what’s involvedin pottery analysis.
LIGHT DETECTION
LiDAR – Light Detection AndRanging is a remote sensingtechnology that uses a laser tocollect height and elevationaldata. The laser emits a lightpulse and the time taken forthe pulse to return back to asensor is recorded, giving adistance between objects.
Geophysics is the non-invasive investigation
of subsurface conditions inthe earth through measur-ing, analysing and interpret-ing physical fields at thesurface. Some of the meth-ods commonly employed in-
clude: electromagnet-ics, ground-penetrating
radar andresistivity.
