early irish ironworking - university college dublin · social sciences, a national university of...

Further Reading Scott, B. 1990 Early Irish Ironworking. Belfast, Ulster Museum. Contact Please write your email in the space below if you would like more information about this project. Acknowledgements This PhD research is being carried out within the UCD School of Archaeology with the kind support of the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences, a National University of Ireland Travelling Studentship, Marie Curie Early Stage Training funding and the Humanities Institute of Ireland. Abstract Iron is and was a key material in people’s social lives. This PhD project will examine the role of iron technology in the perception and performance of social identity, its use and interpretation in daily life and its meaning in terms of early medieval ideologies. Using a variety of methodologies combining traditional approaches with modern scientific analyses it will investigate the technological and social context of ironworking. Old and new data will be examined to provide insights into the role of ironworking technology in the perception and performance of social identity, its use and interpretation in daily life and its meaning in terms of early medieval ideologies. . . Methodology The project will combine a comprehensive database of relevant sites with contextual analysis of the material at various scales of working in the landscape. Case studies at regional, local and micro levels will examine every stage of the process of ironworking from creation to destruction. Slag and/or metallurgical analysis may be undertaken, where appropriate, in conjunction with University College London. Archaeological data will be compared with the historical sources and modern theoretical perspectives on the social role of technology will be considered. The Dataset Scott’s (1990) seminal and comprehensive Early Irish Ironworking identified 91 early medieval ironworking sites. However, almost two decades later the quantity and quality of new data has increased exponentially. Current work by UCD’s EMAP Project has identified 293 potentially relevant sites up to 2002. Specialist slag and metallurgical analysis of sites has become the norm and this combined with the quantity of new data has changed the nature of the evidence. Recently excavated sites have produced slag assemblages measured in tons, dwarfing anything previously known. [email protected] Research Questions •Who produced and used iron in the early medieval period? •How was iron produced? •What was produced, where, and by who? •Where was iron being smelted, forged, recycled and deposited? Experimental Furnace Bog Ore deposit from Turraun, Co. Offaly Brian Dolan UCD School of Archaeology PhD supervised by Dr. Aidan O’Sullivan and Dr. Helen Lewis Contribution This project hopes to offer a new synthesis of Irish early medieval ironworking material, contributing to an understanding of the social context of technology in early Ireland Background Photo: Reconstruction of slave collar from Lagore Crannog. Co. Westmeath. After Scott (1990, 106) Early Irish Ironworking 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 Number of Sites

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Page 1: Early Irish Ironworking - University College Dublin · Social Sciences, a National University of Ireland Travelling Studentship, Marie Curie Early Stage Training funding and the Humanities

Further ReadingScott, B. 1990 Early Irish Ironworking.Belfast, Ulster Museum.

ContactPlease write your email in the spacebelow if you would like moreinformation about this project.

AcknowledgementsThis PhD research is beingcarried out within the UCDSchool of Archaeology with thekind support of the Irish ResearchCouncil for the Humanities andSocial Sciences, a NationalUniversity of Ireland TravellingStudentship, Marie Curie EarlyStage Training funding and theHumanities Institute of Ireland.

AbstractIron is and was a key material in people’ssocial lives. This PhD project willexamine the role of iron technology inthe perception and performance of socialidentity, its use and interpretation in dailylife and its meaning in terms of earlymedieval ideologies.

Using a variety of methodologiescombining traditional approaches withmodern scientific analyses it willinvestigate the technological and socialcontext of ironworking. Old and new datawill be examined to provide insights intothe role of ironworking technology in theperception and performance of socialidentity, its use and interpretation in dailylife and its meaning in terms of earlymedieval ideologies.

MethodologyThe project will combine acomprehensive database ofrelevant sites with contextualanalysis of the material at various scalesof working in the landscape. Case studiesat regional, local and micro levels willexamine every stage of the process ofironworking from creation to destruction.Slag and/or metallurgical analysis maybe undertaken, where appropriate, inconjunction with University CollegeLondon. Archaeological data will becompared with the historical sources andmodern theoretical perspectives on thesocial role of technology will beconsidered.

The DatasetScott’s (1990) seminal andcomprehensive Early Irish Ironworkingidentified 91 early medieval ironworkingsites. However, almost two decades laterthe quantity and quality of new data hasincreased exponentially. Current work byUCD’s EMAP Project has identified 293potentially relevant sites up to 2002.

Specialist slag and metallurgical analysisof sites has become the norm and thiscombined with the quantity of new datahas changed the nature of the evidence.Recently excavated sites have producedslag assemblages measured in tons,dwarfing anything previously known.

[email protected]

Research Questions•Who produced and used iron in theearly medieval period?•How was iron produced?•What was produced, where, and bywho?•Where was iron being smelted, forged,recycled and deposited?

Experimental Furnace

Bog Ore deposit from Turraun, Co. Offaly

Brian DolanUCD School of ArchaeologyPhD supervised by Dr. Aidan O’Sullivan and Dr. Helen Lewis

ContributionThis project hopes to offer a newsynthesis of Irish early medievalironworking material, contributing to anunderstanding of the social context oftechnology in early Ireland

Background Photo: Reconstruction of slave collar from Lagore Crannog. Co. Westmeath. After Scott (1990, 106)

Early Irish Ironworking

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