FW: Book Launch “Breaking Ground, Finding Graves â€" reports on the excavations of burials by the National Museum of Ireland, 1927 â€" 2006”

[Marion Gunn]

Not strictly linguistic studies, but could be crucial to such, 
contextually. Please spread the word about this important publication.
Le dea-mhéin,
mg


Scríobh 27/02/2012 12:53, Marion Gunn:
> GRMA, a Phádraig.
>
> Á scaipeadh sin anois ar na r-ghrúpaí seo a leanas:
> List for Scholars and Students of Gaelic Folk Traditions 
> <SEANCHAS-L at LISTSERV.HEANET.IE>
> Clans of Ireland Discussion List <FINTE-L at LISTSERV.HEANET.IE>
>
> Foinse: mgaule at museum.ie <mailto:mgaule at museum.ie> via 
> <feasta at eircom.net>.
> mg
>
>
> Scríobh 26/02/2012 18:46, Padraig Mac Fhearghusa:
> ==========
>
> From: Maureen Gaule <mgaule at museum.ie>
> Reply-To: <mgaule at museum.ie>
> Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:00:05 -0600 (CST)
> To: Padraig <feasta at eircom.net>
> Subject: Book Launch •Breaking Ground, Finding Graves• reports on the 
> excavations of burials by the National Museum of Ireland, 1927 • 2006.
>
> Book Launch
> “Breaking Ground, Finding Graves – reports on the excavations of 
> burials by the National Museum of Ireland, 1927 – 2006”
> Edited by
> Mary Cahill and Maeve Sikora
> at the
> National Museum of Ireland
>  Dr. Pat Wallace, Director of the National Museum of Ireland, is 
> pleased to announce the launch of a new book titled Breaking Ground, 
> Finding Graves – reports on the excavations of burials by the National 
> Museum of Ireland, 1927 – 2006.
> This launch will take place on Tuesday, 28th February 2012 at The 
> National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 at 
> 6.00 p.m.
>
> Breaking Ground, Finding Graves, is an account of 80 years of 
> fieldwork by the National Museum of Ireland. Since its earliest days 
> the National Museum of Ireland has responded to reports of discoveries 
> of artefacts – including ancient human remains - from all over the 
> country. Reports of discovery of ancient human remains come to the 
> museum in many different ways – through An Garda Síochána, farmers, 
> quarry operators, gardeners and builders. The book contains a very 
> diverse body of material with the earliest burials dating from the 
> Neolithic period c. 3500 BC. Burials can occur in almost any location 
> and the find circumstances vary from the construction of dividing 
> fences by the Irish Land Commission, Irish military operations in the 
> 1940s, to children playing in sand dunes, and night-time ploughing in 
> rural Limerick.
>
> The excavations themselves, carried out over the past century, reflect 
> the interesting story of the development of archaeology in 20th 
> century Ireland.  The excavators include former Directors, Keepers and 
> curators such as Adolf Mahr, Liam Gógan, and Joseph Raftery, as well 
> as current curators in the Irish Antiquities Division. The publication 
> is a compendium of more than 400 reports covering a period of over 
> 5000 years – the results of excavations and investigations from 
> Donegal to Wexford, Louth to Kerry and all counties in between.
>
> Together they build up a fascinating picture of burial practice in 
> Ireland showing the range and variety of burial custom and the changes 
> in ritual and deposition as cultural and religious practices developed 
> over time. Whether inhumations or cremations, single or multiple 
> burials, accompanied by special pottery vessels, supplies of food and 
> drink or deposited alone, these burials tell us much about the lives 
> of our ancestors. They tell us about their diet, state of health, what 
> caused their deaths and how many of them lead lives of tough physical 
> work and died of diseases such as bone cancer or from wounds inflicted 
> during violent episodes.
>
> The monograph is structured chronologically. The earliest burials date 
> from the Neolithic, through the Bronze Age and Iron Age to the early 
> medieval, late medieval and post-medieval periods. Brief introductions 
> to each chapter place the reports in the wider context of the burial 
> practices of the period.  The monograph is richly illustrated with 
> maps, plans, drawings and photographs including specially commissioned 
> anatomical details showing evidence of disease, diet and injuries. 
> From the museum’s archives antiquarian and modern images of local 
> people observing the excavations show how our fascination with death 
> and burial remains constant.
>
> Volume 1 covers the Neolithic and Bronze Age.
>  Volume 2 covers the Iron Age, early and late medieval, post-medieval 
> and later periods. It also includes an inventory of sites where human 
> remains have been recorded.
>  Commenting of the publication, Dr Pat Wallace said “This is the 
> National Museum’s most ambitious publication in 80 years since 
> Christian Art in Ancient Ireland. It captures the true essence of the 
> Museum and the excitement of its ordinary work in the field.”
>
> Mary Cahill is an Assistant Keeper in the Irish Antiquities Division 
> of the National Museum of Ireland, specialising in the Bronze Age, 
> particularly the archaeology of prehistoric gold work and the history 
> of collections.
>
> Maeve Sikora is an Assistant Keeper in the Irish Antiquities Division 
> of the National Museum of Ireland, specialising in early medieval 
> collections.
>
> The monograph is the fourth in the National Museum of Ireland’s 
> monograph series published by Wordwell in association with the NMI. 
> The publication is for sale in the National Museum of Ireland shop and 
> online at www.museum.ie  for €50 and at other bookshops.
>
> FOR MORE PRESS INFORMATION CONTACT:
>
> Maureen Gaule, Marketing Executive, Marketing Department, Dublin
> T: 01 648 6429 | M: 087 9031690| E: mgaule at museum.ie
>
> Ann Daly, Head of Marketing, Marketing Department
> T: 01 648 6457 | M: 087 2368067 | E: adaly at museum.ie
>
> Notes to the Editor:
> Admission to the National Museum of Ireland and its exhibitions is free
>     •    Open Tuesday – Saturday 10.00am – 5.00pm
>     •    Sunday 2.00pm – 5.00pm
>     •    www.museum.ie
>     •    Museum Shop & Café open
>


-- 
Marion Gunn * eGteo (Estab.1991)
27 Páirc an Fhéithlinn, Baile an
Bhóthair, An Charraig Dhubh,
Co. Átha Cliath, Éire/Ireland.
* mgunn at egt.ie * eamonn at egt.ie *