EMAP Report 6.1 deals with the archaeological evidence for industrial activity on secular sites i... more EMAP Report 6.1 deals with the archaeological evidence for industrial activity on secular sites in early medieval Ireland. It is comprised of four main sections. The first section provides a general overview of the creation of the report, including general distribution maps and histograms. The archaeological evidence for industrial activity is covered in fuller detail in sections two and three. Section 2, prepared by Matt Seaver, examines the evidence in greater depth for specific industrial activity, namely iron-working, non-ferrous metal-working, glassworking, and antler/ bone-working. This is accompanied by comprehensive tables outlining the site evidence for the major industrial activities. Section 3, prepared by Maureen Doyle, looks at the production of items of personal ornamentation and decoration. Rather than adopting a single-material approach, this section examines the production of different types of artefact. Thus ‘pins’ are discussed together, whether they were made of bone, antler, bronze or iron, since they performed a similar function. The final section consists of a site gazetteer of industrial activity in early medieval Ireland. This includes over 300 secular sites, and contains substantial tables outlining the evidence for craft activity, as well as the types of artefacts recovered from the site. Much of the evidence for industrial activity in the gazetteer is derived from reports which have not been fully published, i.e. the large body of ‘grey literature’ that has emerged during the last two decades.Heritage Counci
EMAP Report 6.1 deals with the archaeological evidence for industrial activity on secular sites i... more EMAP Report 6.1 deals with the archaeological evidence for industrial activity on secular sites in early medieval Ireland. It is comprised of four main sections. The first section provides a general overview of the creation of the report, including general distribution maps and histograms. The archaeological evidence for industrial activity is covered in fuller detail in sections two and three. Section 2, prepared by Matt Seaver, examines the evidence in greater depth for specific industrial activity, namely iron-working, non-ferrous metal-working, glass- working, and antler/bone-working. This is accompanied by comprehensive tables outlining the site evidence for the major industrial activities. Section 3, prepared by Maureen Doyle, looks at the production of items of personal ornamentation and decoration. Rather than adopting a single-material approach, this section examines the production of different types of artefact. Thus ‘pins’ are discussed together, whether they were made of bone, antler, bronze or iron, since they performed a similar function. The final section consists of a site gazetteer of industrial activity in early medieval Ireland. This includes over 300 secular sites, and contains substantial tables outlining the evidence for craft activity, as well as the types of artefacts recovered from the site. Much of the evidence for industrial activity in the gazetteer is derived from reports which have not been fully published, i.e. the large body of ‘grey literature’ that has emerged during the last two decades. The investigation of industrial activity shows that certain early medieval secular site-types produced more evidence than others. It also suggests that there was a hierarchy of industrial activity, with perceived high status sites producing more prestigious materials – such as non- ferrous metals or glass. There is also a suggestion of a degree of regional patterning, most clearly indicated by the distribution of shale-working sites, but also possibly influential in the location of iron-working sites. The findings indicate that secular sites played a substantial role in early medieval craft and industry, a fact that is often overlooked due to a focus on the production-levels of ‘monastic towns’, and latterly, Hiberno-Norse settlements.Heritage Council INSTAR programm
EMAP Report 6.1 deals with the archaeological evidence for industrial activity on secular sites i... more EMAP Report 6.1 deals with the archaeological evidence for industrial activity on secular sites in early medieval Ireland. It is comprised of four main sections. The first section provides a general overview of the creation of the report, including general distribution maps and histograms. The archaeological evidence for industrial activity is covered in fuller detail in sections two and three. Section 2, prepared by Matt Seaver, examines the evidence in greater depth for specific industrial activity, namely iron-working, non-ferrous metal-working, glass- working, and antler/bone-working. This is accompanied by comprehensive tables outlining the site evidence for the major industrial activities. Section 3, prepared by Maureen Doyle, looks at the production of items of personal ornamentation and decoration. Rather than adopting a single-material approach, this section examines the production of different types of artefact. Thus ‘pins’ are discussed together, whether they were made of bone, antler, bronze or iron, since they performed a similar function. The final section consists of a site gazetteer of industrial activity in early medieval Ireland. This includes over 300 secular sites, and contains substantial tables outlining the evidence for craft activity, as well as the types of artefacts recovered from the site. Much of the evidence for industrial activity in the gazetteer is derived from reports which have not been fully published, i.e. the large body of ‘grey literature’ that has emerged during the last two decades. The investigation of industrial activity shows that certain early medieval secular site-types produced more evidence than others. It also suggests that there was a hierarchy of industrial activity, with perceived high status sites producing more prestigious materials – such as non- ferrous metals or glass. There is also a suggestion of a degree of regional patterning, most clearly indicated by the distribution of shale-working sites, but also possibly influential in the location of iron-working sites. The findings indicate that secular sites played a substantial role in early medieval craft and industry, a fact that is often overlooked due to a focus on the production-levels of ‘monastic towns’, and latterly, Hiberno-Norse settlements.Heritage Council INSTAR Programm
Section One: Early Medieval Crafts and Production in Ireland, AD 400-1100: A Brief Overview - By ... more Section One: Early Medieval Crafts and Production in Ireland, AD 400-1100: A Brief Overview - By Thomas R. Kerr, Finbar McCormick and Aidan O'Sullivan Chapter 1: Introduction Section Two: Early Medieval Craft-Working - By Matthew Seaver, Lorcan Harney and Aidan O'Sullivan Chapter 2: Early Medieval Iron-Working Chapter 3: Early Medieval Non-Ferrous Metalworking Chapter 4: Early Medieval Glass, Enamel and Millefiori-Working Chapter 5: Early Medieval Bone, Antler and Horn-Working Chapter 6: Early Medieval Stone-Working Appendix: Tables for Section Two Section Three: Early Medieval Crafts and the Manufacture and Use of Dress and Ornament - By Maureen Doyle Chapter 7: Early Medieval Dress and Ornament Chapter 8: Dress and Ornament Manufacturing on Early Medieval Rural Settlement Sites Section Four: Gazetteer of Industrial Activity on Early Medieval Rural Secular Sites - Compiled by Thomas R. Kerr, Maureen Doyle and Matthew Seaver Bibliography
The excavation boom in the early twenty-first century has created a substantial archaeological da... more The excavation boom in the early twenty-first century has created a substantial archaeological database for early medieval Ireland. The Early Medieval Archaeology Project (EMAP) was established to synthesise and publicise the results of these excavation. Funded under the Irish National Strategic Archaeological Research programme (INSTAR) of the Heritage Council, RoI, EMAP has produced a broad overview of the subject area (O’Sullivan et al. 2013), as well as specific monographs on the agricultural and industrial economies (EMAP 2011; EMAP 2012). This current work represents an attempt to pull together the various strands of the early medieval Irish economy and to create a synthesis of current understanding of economic activity during this period. As such this work is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 examines the documentary evidence for economic activity in Ireland. This is largely found in the, mainly eighth-century law tracts, which are predominantly preoccupied with the farming economy, especially pastoral farming and its relationships with the wider social structure. These works have had a major impact on the later interpretations of archaeological sites. Chapter 2 looks at the archaeological record for productive activity in Ireland. Unlike most other studies, this chapter combines both farming activity and industrial, or craft- working, activity, since it is clear that there was a substantial amount of inter- relations between these sectors during the early medieval period. Chapter 3 provides a summary of the competing economic theories for primitive commerce, and also examines the applications of these theories to the specific examples of ‘Dark Age’ Europe. Chapter 4 then considers the archaeological and documentary evidence for trade in early medieval Ireland. This is divided into imports and exports, but also considers the probable internal trade in utilitarian objects such as grindstones and iron ore. The final chapter, Chapter 5, attempts to pull together the various strands of evidence presented in the preceding chapters and to present a coherent and viable model for the early medieval Irish economy. The contemporary written sources and the various theoretical frameworks, combined with a substantial database of archaeological evidence, has allowed for a reinterpretation of the way in which the economy of early medieval Ireland functioned. Future research in this area must continue to reconcile these three sources of evidence.Heritage Council INSTAR programm
EMAP Report 6.1 deals with the archaeological evidence for industrial activity on secular sites i... more EMAP Report 6.1 deals with the archaeological evidence for industrial activity on secular sites in early medieval Ireland. It is comprised of four main sections. The first section provides a general overview of the creation of the report, including general distribution maps and histograms. The archaeological evidence for industrial activity is covered in fuller detail in sections two and three. Section 2, prepared by Matt Seaver, examines the evidence in greater depth for specific industrial activity, namely iron-working, non-ferrous metal-working, glassworking, and antler/ bone-working. This is accompanied by comprehensive tables outlining the site evidence for the major industrial activities. Section 3, prepared by Maureen Doyle, looks at the production of items of personal ornamentation and decoration. Rather than adopting a single-material approach, this section examines the production of different types of artefact. Thus ‘pins’ are discussed together, whether they were made of bone, antler, bronze or iron, since they performed a similar function. The final section consists of a site gazetteer of industrial activity in early medieval Ireland. This includes over 300 secular sites, and contains substantial tables outlining the evidence for craft activity, as well as the types of artefacts recovered from the site. Much of the evidence for industrial activity in the gazetteer is derived from reports which have not been fully published, i.e. the large body of ‘grey literature’ that has emerged during the last two decades.Heritage Counci
EMAP Report 6.1 deals with the archaeological evidence for industrial activity on secular sites i... more EMAP Report 6.1 deals with the archaeological evidence for industrial activity on secular sites in early medieval Ireland. It is comprised of four main sections. The first section provides a general overview of the creation of the report, including general distribution maps and histograms. The archaeological evidence for industrial activity is covered in fuller detail in sections two and three. Section 2, prepared by Matt Seaver, examines the evidence in greater depth for specific industrial activity, namely iron-working, non-ferrous metal-working, glass- working, and antler/bone-working. This is accompanied by comprehensive tables outlining the site evidence for the major industrial activities. Section 3, prepared by Maureen Doyle, looks at the production of items of personal ornamentation and decoration. Rather than adopting a single-material approach, this section examines the production of different types of artefact. Thus ‘pins’ are discussed together, whether they were made of bone, antler, bronze or iron, since they performed a similar function. The final section consists of a site gazetteer of industrial activity in early medieval Ireland. This includes over 300 secular sites, and contains substantial tables outlining the evidence for craft activity, as well as the types of artefacts recovered from the site. Much of the evidence for industrial activity in the gazetteer is derived from reports which have not been fully published, i.e. the large body of ‘grey literature’ that has emerged during the last two decades. The investigation of industrial activity shows that certain early medieval secular site-types produced more evidence than others. It also suggests that there was a hierarchy of industrial activity, with perceived high status sites producing more prestigious materials – such as non- ferrous metals or glass. There is also a suggestion of a degree of regional patterning, most clearly indicated by the distribution of shale-working sites, but also possibly influential in the location of iron-working sites. The findings indicate that secular sites played a substantial role in early medieval craft and industry, a fact that is often overlooked due to a focus on the production-levels of ‘monastic towns’, and latterly, Hiberno-Norse settlements.Heritage Council INSTAR programm
EMAP Report 6.1 deals with the archaeological evidence for industrial activity on secular sites i... more EMAP Report 6.1 deals with the archaeological evidence for industrial activity on secular sites in early medieval Ireland. It is comprised of four main sections. The first section provides a general overview of the creation of the report, including general distribution maps and histograms. The archaeological evidence for industrial activity is covered in fuller detail in sections two and three. Section 2, prepared by Matt Seaver, examines the evidence in greater depth for specific industrial activity, namely iron-working, non-ferrous metal-working, glass- working, and antler/bone-working. This is accompanied by comprehensive tables outlining the site evidence for the major industrial activities. Section 3, prepared by Maureen Doyle, looks at the production of items of personal ornamentation and decoration. Rather than adopting a single-material approach, this section examines the production of different types of artefact. Thus ‘pins’ are discussed together, whether they were made of bone, antler, bronze or iron, since they performed a similar function. The final section consists of a site gazetteer of industrial activity in early medieval Ireland. This includes over 300 secular sites, and contains substantial tables outlining the evidence for craft activity, as well as the types of artefacts recovered from the site. Much of the evidence for industrial activity in the gazetteer is derived from reports which have not been fully published, i.e. the large body of ‘grey literature’ that has emerged during the last two decades. The investigation of industrial activity shows that certain early medieval secular site-types produced more evidence than others. It also suggests that there was a hierarchy of industrial activity, with perceived high status sites producing more prestigious materials – such as non- ferrous metals or glass. There is also a suggestion of a degree of regional patterning, most clearly indicated by the distribution of shale-working sites, but also possibly influential in the location of iron-working sites. The findings indicate that secular sites played a substantial role in early medieval craft and industry, a fact that is often overlooked due to a focus on the production-levels of ‘monastic towns’, and latterly, Hiberno-Norse settlements.Heritage Council INSTAR Programm
Section One: Early Medieval Crafts and Production in Ireland, AD 400-1100: A Brief Overview - By ... more Section One: Early Medieval Crafts and Production in Ireland, AD 400-1100: A Brief Overview - By Thomas R. Kerr, Finbar McCormick and Aidan O'Sullivan Chapter 1: Introduction Section Two: Early Medieval Craft-Working - By Matthew Seaver, Lorcan Harney and Aidan O'Sullivan Chapter 2: Early Medieval Iron-Working Chapter 3: Early Medieval Non-Ferrous Metalworking Chapter 4: Early Medieval Glass, Enamel and Millefiori-Working Chapter 5: Early Medieval Bone, Antler and Horn-Working Chapter 6: Early Medieval Stone-Working Appendix: Tables for Section Two Section Three: Early Medieval Crafts and the Manufacture and Use of Dress and Ornament - By Maureen Doyle Chapter 7: Early Medieval Dress and Ornament Chapter 8: Dress and Ornament Manufacturing on Early Medieval Rural Settlement Sites Section Four: Gazetteer of Industrial Activity on Early Medieval Rural Secular Sites - Compiled by Thomas R. Kerr, Maureen Doyle and Matthew Seaver Bibliography
The excavation boom in the early twenty-first century has created a substantial archaeological da... more The excavation boom in the early twenty-first century has created a substantial archaeological database for early medieval Ireland. The Early Medieval Archaeology Project (EMAP) was established to synthesise and publicise the results of these excavation. Funded under the Irish National Strategic Archaeological Research programme (INSTAR) of the Heritage Council, RoI, EMAP has produced a broad overview of the subject area (O’Sullivan et al. 2013), as well as specific monographs on the agricultural and industrial economies (EMAP 2011; EMAP 2012). This current work represents an attempt to pull together the various strands of the early medieval Irish economy and to create a synthesis of current understanding of economic activity during this period. As such this work is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 examines the documentary evidence for economic activity in Ireland. This is largely found in the, mainly eighth-century law tracts, which are predominantly preoccupied with the farming economy, especially pastoral farming and its relationships with the wider social structure. These works have had a major impact on the later interpretations of archaeological sites. Chapter 2 looks at the archaeological record for productive activity in Ireland. Unlike most other studies, this chapter combines both farming activity and industrial, or craft- working, activity, since it is clear that there was a substantial amount of inter- relations between these sectors during the early medieval period. Chapter 3 provides a summary of the competing economic theories for primitive commerce, and also examines the applications of these theories to the specific examples of ‘Dark Age’ Europe. Chapter 4 then considers the archaeological and documentary evidence for trade in early medieval Ireland. This is divided into imports and exports, but also considers the probable internal trade in utilitarian objects such as grindstones and iron ore. The final chapter, Chapter 5, attempts to pull together the various strands of evidence presented in the preceding chapters and to present a coherent and viable model for the early medieval Irish economy. The contemporary written sources and the various theoretical frameworks, combined with a substantial database of archaeological evidence, has allowed for a reinterpretation of the way in which the economy of early medieval Ireland functioned. Future research in this area must continue to reconcile these three sources of evidence.Heritage Council INSTAR programm
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