Irish antiquities: essays in memory of Joseph Raftery.

Irish antiquities: essays in memory of Joseph Raftery. MICHAEL RYAN There are many notable people with the name Michael Ryan: Michael Ryan (athlete), New Zealand long distance runner Michael Ryan (baseball), a baseball player Michael Ryan (ice hockey), American ice hockey player (ed.). Irish antiquities: essays in memory of JosephRaftery. xii+222 pages, b/w figures. 1998. Bray: Wordwell; 1-869857-25-9hardback IR 25 [pounds sterling]. These are exciting times in Ireland. This can be seen in many ways,with the political changes which are under way, with increasingintegration within the European Community and the `Celtic Tiger'boom in the Republic, and indeed in the practise of archaeology withinIreland. Some of these factors are not unrelated, and the threecollections of essays reviewed here reflect changes in attitudes andambitions over time, and the wide range of approaches to archaeology nowpresent within Ireland. Traditional Irish archaeology has belonged to a fiercely empiricalform of culture history, closely linked to Continental traditions ofcataloguing, listing and typological classification. Whilst thisapproach has been applied to sites and structures, it has been mostfrequently used in the context of finds. Many University theses andpublications by academic and National Museum staff have concentrated onparticular classes of artefacts, and produced definitive studies ofstatic material culture only existing in relation to other staticartefacts in terms of typological similarity. Explanations, if any, aregiven in terms of diffusion of ideas and techniques and migration ofgroups or of craftsmen. A well-produced volume in memory of JosephRaftery, Irish antiquities, very much espouses this tradition, a fittingtribute to a scholar whose own publications were very much in thismould. The papers range in date from the Mesolithic to the post-Medieval;all are in chronological order apart, bizarrely, from the last paperwhich returns us to Viking Dublin. The spread reflects Raftery'sown research which, whilst rooted in the Iron Age, covered many aspectsof the Irish past. This multi-period interest is something which isstill fortunately followed by many Irish archaeologists, though theever-increasing literature and consequent specialization is threateningthis appreciation of all the past, not just one time slice A short interval of time allotted to each user or program in a multitasking or timesharing system. Time slices are typically in milliseconds. (operating system) time slice or categoryof evidence. Traditions change, and there is often now a desire to seekexplanation and meaning at every turn, but one must be aware of thegreat depth of scholarship that exists in this type of literature. InIreland this style of scholarship is still a viable and livelytradition, and it is one that should not be lost. Whilst for some theexplanations may be lacking, the quality of historiography historiographyWriting of history, especially that based on the critical examination of sources and the synthesis of chosen particulars from those sources into a narrative that will stand the test of critical methods. and thusappreciation of the context in which the artefacts were originallyacquired is something not to be dismissed. This can be seen most clearlyin papers by Woodman on late Mesolithic material and Cahill on BronzeAge Bronze Age,period in the development of technology when metals were first used regularly in the manufacture of tools and weapons. Pure copper and bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, were used indiscriminately at first; this early period is sometimes called the gold, but is present in a less dominant way in many others. Thedetailed knowledge of artefacts, their technology of production,niceties ni��ce��ty?n. pl. ni��ce��ties1. The quality of showing or requiring careful, precise treatment: the nicety of a diplomatic exchange.2. in typology typology/ty��pol��o��gy/ (ti-pol��ah-je) the study of types; the science of classifying, as bacteria according to type. typologythe study of types; the science of classifying, as bacteria according to type. and contexts of deposition, run through the studiesof groups of material by Eogan (heart-shaped bullae bul��lae?n.Plural of bulla. ), Raftery (knobbedspearbutts) and Kelly (Sheela-nagigs). Other papers, apparentlyconcerning single objects of note, reveal wide-ranging knowledge ofartefacts in many collections around Europe. Such studies are by Warner(lead pin), Ryan (house-shaped shrine), 0 Floinn (Mias Tighearnain) andFlanagan (table-fork). Only two papers are more generalizing, Frey onearly Celtic art Celtic art(kĕl`tĭk, sĕl`–). The earliest clearly Celtic style in art was developed in S Germany and E France by tribal artisans of the mid- to late 5th cent. B.C. on the Continent, and Wallace on the use of iron inViking Dublin. To many, this book will seem like a product from the past. In onesense this is true, looking back at a style of scholarship which was theonly mode for much of the 20th century. Whilst many may find the data solovingly and carefully collected and collated then frustratingly littleutilized to understand the past, the book stands as a reminder of theneed for quality scholarship beneath any new interpretations. Dublin and beyond the Pole contains a bewildering be��wil��der?tr.v. be��wil��dered, be��wil��der��ing, be��wil��ders1. To confuse or befuddle, especially with numerous conflicting situations, objects, or statements. See Synonyms at puzzle.2. array of 29papers covering a series of themes. There is, moreover, a very widerange of evidence presented here, with excavations, finds, settlementsand structures all reported and discussed. Again, the chronologicalbreadth of interests is represented by papers from the Bronze Ageonwards, though there is a much greater emphasis on the historic periodin this volume. Whilst many papers are merely descriptive of particularartefacts or sites, some are more generalizing, and a few offerimportant interpretations. This volume reflects the widening horizons ofIrish archaeology, still rooted in a culture-historical description andnarrative, but with a desire to make sense of the past, not justcatalogue it. The volume has several themes, and within each a range of ambitionscan be noted. In `Dublin: The Viking and medieval town', a fewpapers can be selected to illustrate the ways in which this great urbancentre is becoming one of the most archaeologically understood inEurope. Wallace considers the role of line fishing in the Viking period,and O'Brien provides a valuable discussion of the location andcontext of the Kilmainham/ Islandbridge burials. Clarke considerssuburban development of the medieval town, and O'Sullivan offers animportant interdisciplinary study of woodmanship and supply toAnglo-Norman Dublin. King's paper on the pre-1700 memorials in StPatrick's Cathedral is an example of a study which involves muchuse of antiquarian an��ti��quar��i��an?n.One who studies, collects, or deals in antiquities.adj.1. Of or relating to antiquarians or to the study or collecting of antiquities.2. Dealing in or having to do with old or rare books. sources as well as examination of the existingremains. The section on the hinterland of Dublin is more diffuse, buthas overview papers on souterrains (Clinton) and medieval boroughs(Bradley), as well as studies of specific sites and structures. Thefollowing section on crosses and cross-slabs does not just cover theDublin area, which makes it a rather rag-bag collection, valuable thoughthe individual studies are. These relate to a particular researchinterest of Healy's, and their inclusion makes sense in this light.Of special interest may be the grave-slab, excavated by de Paor manyyears ago but now fully published, which was found immediately east ofthe High Cross at Durrow, an association rarely surviving for mostsculpture of this kind. The last section of the volume covers laterMedieval and post-Medieval Ireland, a subject only recently attractingmore than sporadic attention from Irish archaeologists. Of particularimportance in defining a growing area of scholarship is the paper onbuildings archaeology by Johnson, where Lynch's Castle in GalwayCity is studied at length. A more long-standing Irish archaeologicaltradition of reporting on antiquarian researches is represented by anunusual paper on late scholastic ogham ogham,ogam,or ogum(all: ŏg`əm, ō`əm), ancient Celtic alphabet of one of the Irish runic languages. on Kilkenny memorials (de hOir)and the illustrations of Charles Pratt For other people named Charles Pratt, see Charles Pratt (disambiguation).Charles Pratt (October 2 1830 – May 4 1891) was a United States capitalist, businessman and philanthropist.Pratt was a pioneer of the U.S. (Goodbody). This is an impressive collection of essays, many of which will bemuch used in the decades ahead. It reflects the explosion of research inthe Dublin area, and the role of local societies in fostering communityinterest in heritage; the Rathmichael Historical Society is indebted toCon Manning for editing the collection which is produced to a highstandard. Early Medieval Munster is much more focussed in time and space thanthe other two volumes reviewed here, and this makes it much easier torecognize the thrust of the book, even though it contains 19 essays byscholars of widely differing views. From the style of many of theillustrations to the nature of the topics, there is a different emphasisin the papers here. There is more synthesis combined with description,there are explanations offered and, in places, explicit theory anddebate revealed in the printed pages. Three papers (Thomas, O Riain-Raedel, Moore) reflect research onthe earliest phases of Christianity where documentary sources,placenames and ogham inscriptions provide evidence which can beinterpreted in a number of ways. The link between secular andecclesiastical settlement is provided by Monk, where landscapearchaeology Landscape archaeology is a body of method and theory for the study of the material traces of past peoples within the context of their interactions in the wider (typically regional) social and natural environment they inhabited. is incorporated in an innovative way in severalcase-studies. The use of environmental data is welcome, and developed inpapers on woods and woodlands (Tierney), and archaeozoology (McCarthy)and archaeobotany (Monk et al). These are still early days, and problemsof taphonomy ta��phon��o��my?n.1. The study of the conditions and processes by which organisms become fossilized.2. The conditions and processes of fossilization. , sample size and different types of context all inhibit themaking of firm conclusions, but the promise is there. A documentary viewof diet -- particularly cereals -- is provided by Sexton sex��ton?n.An employee or officer of a church who is responsible for the care and upkeep of church property and sometimes for ringing bells and digging graves. , and bodes wellfor interdisplinary studies placing the archaeological evidence in asocial context. One of the great resources of Irish archaeology of the earlymedieval period is the survival of many sites with fine structuraldetail. The ways in which the waterlogged remains of watermills can beused to infer the technology of mill construction and use, particularlywhen combined with documentary sources, is illustrated by Rynne. Thevalue of modern stratigraphic stra��tig��ra��phy?n.The study of rock strata, especially the distribution, deposition, and age of sedimentary rocks.strat excavation of ecclesiastical remains aredemonstrated for Illaunloughan (Marshall & Walsh), and awide-ranging study of standing remains (O'Keefe) sets the Munstertraditions in their broad context. More traditional papers on crossesare also offered (Rynne, Cronin), though even here more explanation isoffered than is often the case. Viking Munster has rarely attracted thesame attention as areas to the east, and this is rectified through asurvey of silver hoards (Sheehan) and lawns (Hurley); the interactionbetween Viking and native is, however, not greatly discussed here. A final section of the volume contains two papers which attempt toplace archaeological research in its wider context, including that ofthe political. O'Sullivan and Tierney both address, in differentways, the issues of nationalism and theoretical persuasion, and how theexpectations of archaeologists affect what patterns they see and howthey interpret them. They are deliberately provocative papers, and veryfew will agree with all that is said, but the two form an ideal startingpoint Noun 1. starting point - earliest limiting pointterminus a quocommencement, get-go, offset, outset, showtime, starting time, beginning, start, kickoff, first - the time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the for consideration of the future of Irish archaeology. One may notlike any or all of their conclusions, but at least there are someopinions to which one can react! The final paper by Edwards does notreally respond to these exhortations, but provides an overview of issuesdrawn from the volume; a full-blooded response would have provided abetter curtain-call, but in itself reflects the style of scholarship ofthe author. These are three important books on Irish archaeology; all areworthy, but it is the Munster volume which will excite most response.The call by the editors Monk & Sheehan for research questions incontract archaeology, for interdisciplinary study, a more syntheticapproach and the need to address the application of theory, may soundfamiliar to archaeologists the world over. In Ireland, economicdevelopment has greatly increased the amount of archaeology beingundertaken, but it is not only in scale that the subject is changing.There are more young archaeologists employed, more women, and more withexperience of archaeology in other countries. Archaeology in Ireland isnot now just more, but different, exciting, and challenging. Thattheoretical, methodological and structural issues are being addressed sopositively in Ireland at this time bodes well for the future. Thearchaeological `Celtic Tiger' really is burning bright.