Post excavation!

Post excavation involves looking at the detailed records made during the excavation including record sheets, registers, photographs, plans, artefacts, environmental samples and site notebooks. These records must be collated and the results analysed in order to produce a stratigraphic record of the site, and to propose an interpretation of the archaeology.

Some of this work will be carried out as part of a winter module in post excavation; this module will introduce students to the principles of post-excavation analysis, including the role of the archaeological specialist, how specialist analysis informs the excavation report, and give students hands-on experience in the collation of excavation records and the interpretation of archaeological excavation results.

Students will carry out work on the Blackfriary excavation material and make a contribution to the site stratigraphic report. As part of that we will be visiting conservation labs, looking at comparable collections and experimenting with different methodologies to assess and interpret the data. Stay tuned for updates

*see http://www.iafs.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=56

Recommended reading:

Green, K. and Moore, T. 2010, Archaeology, An Introduction, 5th Ed., Routledge Oxford [ISBN:978-0-415-49639-1]

Renfrew, C. and Bahn, P. 2008, Archaeology: Theory, Methods and Practice, 5th Ed., Thames & Hudson London [ISBN:978-0500287132]

Museum of London 1990, Archaeological Site Manual, 2nd Ed., Museum of London London [ISBN:978-0904818406]

Roskams, S. 2001, Excavation (Cambridge Manuals in Archaeology), 1st Ed., Cambridge
University Press Cambridge [ISBN: 978-0521798013]

Drewett, P. 2011, Field Archaeology: An Introduction, 2nd Ed., Routledge London [ISBN:978-0415551199]

The Meath Archaeological and Historical Society and Meath County Council Heritage Forum offer four prizes of €500 each for postgraduate research in any discipline, commencing in or after September 2011, devoted wholly or in significant part to any aspect of the heritage (archaeology, history, literature, etc.) of the Meath-Westmeath region.

Entries should be submitted in the form of one or more articles for publication in Ríocht na Midhe. Each entry must be vouched for by the writer’s Supervisor of Research. Adjudication will be by a panel appointed by MAHS.

Entries to Séamus Mac Gabhann, editor, Ríocht na Midhe. Email: seamus.macgabhann@nuim.ie

http://mahs.ie/

We’ll be off-line for the holidays between December 24th and January 3rd, so we would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very merry Christmas, and a happy new year!

From,

Fin, Steve & Bairbre

IAFS Newsletter No 2011.01

Our first stop was a laboratory in which museum staff were investigating textile remains from the Dublin Viking site at Fishamble Street 1; although excavated over 30 years ago, some of the textiles are only now being assessed. The Dublin Wood Quay excavations, as they are known, comprised the rescue excavation of a massive Viking site on the south bank of the River Liffey in Dublin city; the National Museum at Kildare Street Viking exhibition already displays a number of the artefacts from this site (http://www.museum.ie/en/exhibition/viking-ireland.aspx).

The work being carried out on the Fishamble Street 1 textiles includes the processing and examination of textile fragments to identify the fabric used, the method of construction, any dyes or pigments that may have been present and palaeo-environmental sampling to identify insects remains.

The textiles, when excavated in the late 1970’s, were placed in plastic bags which were then vacuum and heat sealed; this conservation method has proven incredibly effective, and along with careful storage in cool, dark conditions has maintained the textiles in a stable condition. The fragments survived in a remarkable state of preservation from the Viking period; the weave and design features on some pieces still clearly visible and different fabric types easily discernible, from fine woollen weaves to coarse sacking material.

 Fine woven textile fragment with design detail visible at the top

The examination and conservation process includes analysis of the clay from the original find contexts, still present on the fragments; this is part of a a pilot project to identify whether insect remains may further the understanding of the original use of the artefacts; we were told that results so far indicate that distinctions can be made as to the type of insects present and the environment in which they are usually found (e.g. insects associated with food, human or animal waste etc.).

A more coarse woven textile fragment

The textiles, when clean and dry, are re-packaged to stabilise each fragment,  each stored in a clear plastic pocket, coated on the inside with an invisible film of an inert compound (ceramic) to prevent degradation of the textiles. The pocket (looks like a plastic pocket for a lever-arch file), labelled with details of the excavation references & available technical information may then be made accessible to researchers for further investigation as the samples may be investigated under a microscope etc. This is an exciting development  and opportunity for future researchers, giving unprecedented access to artefacts that otherwise might be considered too fragile for further examination!

We moved on from this part of the tour and were led to another section of the conservation department and to a completely different end of the history of textiles in Ireland; to the preparation of a retrospective exhibition of the work of the iconic Danish-Irish couturier Ib Jorgenson, who began his career in the 20^th century.

On this visit, a dress was being restored for display; the wool crepe dress dating from the 1960’s is in excellent shape due in part to a very careful owner. The silk lining had worn through in places and a hand-dyed silk, coloured to match as closely as possible the original garment, is used to support the original fabric where further damage might occur in displaying the dress. This work is supportive of the structure of the garment, and crucially, reversible.

Mannequins for the exhibition of costume are specially designed to support each individual garment and while the dress described above was relatively standard in terms of display requirements, we were shown examples of mannequins customised to support 17^th century gowns, where skirts and sleeve supports were carefully tailored to fill out the dress, to ensure no undue stress on the structure of the garment and to accurately reflect its original silhouette.

Our third stop brought us to the archaeological conservation laboratory where our guide introduced us to technical staff undertaking the careful work of replicating an artefact for display – the museum is occasionally asked, by local (regional) museums, archaeological interpretive centres etc., for copies of artefacts (found locally but housed in the National Museum) for permanent display.

The process is a relatively straightforward one, however before the artefact is copied, tests are carried out to ensure that the process will not harm the original artefact in any way. Polychromatic artefacts e.g. painted, enamelled etc., or artefacts with fractures, flaking or lamination are unsuitable for this process as the silicon of clay moulding penetrates even surface scratches and pitting to give an exact copy. A mould is made using clay or silicone. Where objects are fragile, they may be coated with Japanese tissue (a fine paper made from vegetable fibre) before being cast though this will compromise the copy as some detail will be lost; this is thus considered a replica rather a copy.

Making a mould for a resin cast copy

The copy is then cast with a casting resin and using carefully chosen pigments and inclusions to mimic the colour and feel of the artefact. On the visit, we saw the process of casting a bronze axe head. The details of the surface of the artefact were clearly visible on the silicone mould; a number of trials were made to match the green colour of the oxidised bronze. The casting resin would ultimately include powdered bronze to  give the copy a similar feel and weight to the original artefact!

We were also shown the process of packing artefacts for transport when being loaned out to other Museums. This is a much detailed process to ensure that the artefact is not damaged while being unpacked at its destination. The packing process is documented, step by step from the way the artefact is wrapped up, to the way the wrapped object is packed in its container, with written and photographic directions on how to extract it to ensure no damage is caused. The artefact is accompanied by a detailed record of the condition of the object, for the benefit of the curators at the destination institution.

Our last, and by no means least stop, was at the binding and book conservation department. The main function of the this department is to bind volumes for the Museums collection of periodicals and journals however some conservation and restoration work is also carried out. The book binder is a third generation master craftsman; the skills used, passed through generations are now largely replaced by mechanisation for large-scale or commercial production, however at the Museum the continued use of traditional methods is appropriate to the material.

We were given a demonstration of the process from trimming the paper to a uniform size, selecting buckram (a binding textile – a sort of leatherette) for the cover, the arrangement of the brass letters, some in use for over 100 years, for the metal foil lettering and the finishing of the bound volumes in an array of colours to represent the different series of periodicals.

 Brass letters used to heat-print metal foil lettering onto book covers

We were also treated to a look at (modern) vellum, used in the reproduction of the recently opened exhibition of the Faddan More Psalter. Vellum is made from animal skin (e.g. calf) that is treated and dried to create a remarkable thin, almost translucent, flexible, smooth and strong material for writing.

The tour, which took just over an hour was very enjoyable and informative thanks to the museum staff and their obvious enthusiasm for their work!

References:

 Dublin Viking excavation Fishamble Street 1: http://www.excavations.ie/Pages/Details.php?Year=&County=Dublin&id=5704

Preparation for a retrospective of the iconic couturier Ib Jorgensen : http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/magazine/2011/0115/1224287297721.html.

Faddan More Psalter: http://www.museum.ie/en/exhibition/list/focus-on-the-faddan-more-psalter.aspx

The site of the Black Friary has long been in the memory of the local community, and though not everyone is familiar with the specifics of the site, it is recognised by most as the site of something old and important. Many people have played on the site as children, might use it as a short-cut from one road to another, walk their dogs there and children still use the site for recreation. The site has also been used for dumping, bonfires and anti-social behaviour.

Although some local people have been visiting the site since excavations began in Season 1, for the most part local people are unaware of the progress of the archaeology excavation project and that there is now something more to see now, than some masonry peeping above the meadow grass.

In preparation for the open day, a flyer was distributed to local house-holds, posters were posted, emails and invitations were sent and the word was passed through Facebook, twitter and the like.

 Flyer, circulated to advertise the event

The town council and tidy towns committee organised a cleanup of the site, collecting bags of  litter. The works department organised for some grass cutting and under archaeological direction, mowed a path across the buried ruins, giving visitors an opportunity to walk through the site and gain an appreciation of the scale of the abbey remains.

We put together posters to illustrate the site in the context of the town, to demonstrate what the finds represent and to allow people to examine finds otherwise too fragile for display, and put on display the architectural fragments that best represent the site.

 Poster detailing some elements of the site

Rope barriers were erected to guide visitors around the open cuttings and the archaeological crew donned tee-shirts to identify them as guides for the day.

The bouncy castle and bouncy slide arrived, the giant catapult and castle was erected, ready for a wet-sponge slinging siege, the face painter settled in, brushes at the ready. And then it rained!

Rain-soaked but ready!

We had torrential rain for two hours and we thought the day has well and truly washed out but to our surprise and delight, people still came! Families arrived kitted out, head-to-toe for the rain and despite the puddles and mud the day was a great success. The sun even made an appearance for a while.

Clear skies above Cutting 3

We were delighted with the turn out for the day, the level of interest in the site, and the stories we heard from local people who remembered valuable accounts of finds on the site and elsewhere, that further our knowledge of the abbey site.

So while the excavations will be backfilled for safe keeping over the winter, we are delighted that Season 3 will draw in more visitors from the community and farther afield, and make further progress towards ensuring that this amazing site will take its rightful place among the monuments that define Trim’s position as a town archaeological significance and site preservation.

Thanks to Trim Town Council, the Trim Tidy Towns Committee, Noel French of the Meath Historical Society, to our student volunteer site guides, and to all the visitors to the site for the site for braving the weather, asking interesting questions, offering new information and for the enthusiasm for the project!

Archaeological Director Finola O’Carroll demonstrates the proximity of the site to the town wall (behind the cabin on the left)

Student tour guides show visitors around the excavations

Student tour guide in Cutting 1 – scale model!

The end of the season is finally upon us, and while endeavouring to find the right words to describe my overall impressions of the season, I am overwhelmed by a plethora of memories of anecdotes, stories, jokes…and occasional archaeological experiences.

The season began 17 weeks ago in late May, but I didn’t arrive until the 6th of June, giving me a total of 13 weeks on site (including sick days).  The site, as compared to how it was 13 weeks ago, is nearly unrecognisable.  Cutting 3 evolved from the initial quarry-like, scraped-back, mass-grave-esque hole into a vast archaeological treasure trove, producing a cloister wall and buttress, worked sandstone, limestone columns, slate roof tiles and the occasional nail or coin, as well as more human remains than you can shake a stick at.  The establishment of Cuttings 4 and 4A (the cutting formerly known as 5) completely changed the face of the site.  The spoil heap was removed and the new one pushed back, and two new holes featuring the continuation of the cloister wall (hereafter known as ‘the precious’) emerged and produced worked stone which, for many of us, was like something out of a dream.

The people themselves changed almost as frequently as the depth of Cutting 3, and towards the end there was something of a comedic rivalry between the ‘bone people’ and the ‘stone people’ (in the interest of producing an unbiased account, I shall refrain from stating which of these two groups I most identified with; I shall however say that on several occasions I referred to the sandstone pieces from Cutting 3 – in particular the ones from the southern half- as my babies. That is all).

What remained constant, despite the ever changing faces, was the camaraderie which developed.  Each person brought with them their own unique personality and story, and even though we were all such different people from different backgrounds, we all worked brilliantly together and formed a bond which I think I’m safe in saying will last for a quite a long time…or at least until future archaeologists plan, photograph, and exhume our own skeletal remains.

This brings me to what could possibly be the one thing that represents and typifies the Blackfriary experience for all those involved – the canteen and the conversations held within.  Blaming what I like to call the ‘propane leak,’ the conversations included all manner of topics including but not limited to food, booze, leopards, giant man-eating spiders, adopting Emo’s, Dundalk vs. Dublin, why Dublin is the best place in the country to live, why the entire town of Tullamore is a farm, my hair, the quests of Queen Nikki’s peasants (i.e. thumb wars), and coconut hammers.  These canteen conversations became something of a focal point – something we all looked forward to during the course of the day, and everyone contributed to them differently.

Now, if you will permit me, I’d very much like to share with you some of the season’s canteen conversation highlights (something which could potentially feature in next year’s blog…just need to do some convincing):

Concerning Leopards and Halloween

Rebecca: “For Halloween I’m dressing up as a leopard.”

Laura #1: “Why a leopard?”

Rebecca: “Eh cause I’d be class as a leopard!”

The Day Devon Tried to Kill Me

Laura #2: “Yeah so I rang my physiotherapist…turns out I have to have surgery.”

Devon: “Ohhh my God.”

Gwen: “Oh that sucks! At least you have insurance over here.”

Laura #2 “Actually I don’t.  I’ll have to fly home to have it done.”

Devon: “…oh my God.”

Gwen: “Oh well that’s cool! Devon, you can visit Laura while she’s recovering.”

Devon: “…”

The Hat

Elizabeth: “Well I think it’s a lovely hat.”

Rebecca: “Eh yeah its hideous.”

Elizabeth: “It’s not! It’s lovely!”

Fin: “I actually like it.”

Rebecca: “Yeah well, Fin, in fairness you’ve no taste either.”

 Concerning My Appetite

Laura #2: “I feel kinda sorry for my mom. She only had one child but that one child has the appetite of three children.”

Nikki: “Wait how much do you eat?”

Laura #2: “When I’m here my mom spends about €250 a week on food. When I’m gone home she only spends about €50.”

Nikki: “OH MY SCARVES! What do you eat for €200?”

Laura #2: “I eat a lot of meat. And I drink a lot of water.”

Language Barriers

Devon: “Wait so like what’s a biscuit then?”

Laura #2: “A biscuits like a cookie. It’s not like the thing that you dip in gravy.”

Devon: “Ohhh ok so it’s a cookie. That’s where it’s at!”

Laura #2: -talks about chocolate muffins-

Devon: “Wait what are you guys talking about?”

Laura #2: “Muffins.”

Devon: “Muffin. Wait…is that like cheesecake?”

Language Barriers Part 2

Gwen: “Yeah so when I first got here I couldn’t understand why the Cuttings were called what they were called and everyone kept telling me to go over to Cutting Tree and I was like why is it called Cutting Tree and then I heard about Cuttings 1 and 2 and I was like ohhh it’s Cutting Three!!”

The Coconut Hammer

Shantel: “When I was a kid my mom showed me how to crack open a coconut but I can never remember how to do it. So I just you know go out to the garage, and get my special hammer for cracking open coconuts, and then I go out to the sidewalk, put it on the ground, and whack it with the hammer. But then when I bring it in to my mom she’s like ‘I can’t use this!’ and I’m like ‘well you know what mom, you should just do it yourself then.’”

Nikki: “Wait then what’s your mom gonna do when you move over here?”

Meaghan: “Yeah you’re leaving your poor mother without her coconut smasher.”

Shantel: -head shake- “You know what, she can crack open her own damn coconuts.”

__________________

Now if you were a Hound of God and weren’t tickled pink by the fond memories which I just recounted verbatim from this epic memory of mine…then I might just have to decimate another skull mattock style.  I’m totally kidding!  But on a more serious note, there is something I’d like to say about my own personal experience. (Brace yourselves.  I’m so seldom serious).

Blackfriary was, for me, almost a coming of age-esque experience.  I think it was like that for a lot of us though as we were all such like-minded people, despite whatever differences we may have regarding our backgrounds.  I know that I felt myself change over the course of time which I spent there, and I felt more like myself than I have in years.  I don’t think anyone can say they walked away from this site the same person.  If you can say nothing of what we accomplished as students, something has to be said for what we accomplished as people.  We were brought from all over to work together in extraordinary circumstances and we not only did this well, but we did it laughing.  This for me represents my overall impressions of the season.  It wasn’t so much about the site itself or of cloister walls, of planning and photographing, backsights and benchmarks, sandstone and skeletons.  It was about the nearly brotherhood-like bond that formed and the feeling it conjures which I still can’t quite put into words, as it’s an emotion which transcends all the confines of ordinary language.  I can, however, say that in years to come, I will look back on those sleepy summer days as some of the happiest in my recollection as they were spent doing what I love with people that I grew to love.  And now, I’d like to leave you with some images,  often at the forefront of my mind and which best express this impression of mine – that of warm summer breezes, the sound of ground breaking, and high laughter wafting across a green sun-kissed field.

Laura Nugent

University College Dublin

Blackfriary student

Hercules

It all began with a scapula – the likes of which I had never seen.  To say that this scapula was ripped would be an understatement.  It had a scapular six-pack.  This was the scapula of a well fit man.  It was, for all intents and purposes, the most scaptacular scapula I had ever laid eyes on.

Coming from Cutting 3, the scapula was found to the south of the north wall in what had been believed to be the foundation trench for the church.

The body of the scapula itself was robust, and it curved like a crescent posteriorly.  The glenoid fossa, the articulation point for the humerus, had some lipping – bone remodeling which occurs due to repeated stress during life.

Articulation point for the humerus

The oblique ridges were deep, creating two waves along the subscapular fossa.  The ridges mark the attachments of the intramuscular tendons of the subscapularis muscle which aids in adduction and rotation of the humerus (Fig 2).

 Waves visible along the subscapular fossa

Fin suggested, and I quickly agreed, that this could be an indicator of Hercules having been either a swordsman or a longbow man – both occupations which would have required training and repeated use of the right shoulder and arm from a young age, accounting for the robust development of the scapula.

Possible swords man or long bow man (images from http://www.medievalwarfare.info/)

Not long after the scapula was excavated a mandible was found.  The teeth were worn, indicating an age range of 40-55 (Lovejoy, 1985).  This is based on known, consistent patterns of tooth wear studied in pre-industrialized societies where there is a high presence of grit in the diet due to food processing techniques.

Preservation of the teeth

The skull itself became visible shortly thereafter in the cutting; I assisted Ian and Michael in excavating the one we named Hercules from his previously disturbed resting place.  Several hours and bamboo skewers later we succeed in freeing the skull from the cutting.  Our patience paid off as he emerged none the worse for wear and in remarkable condition.

Skull in excellent condition after initial cleaning

It was as if his burial had been disturbed and his remains were piled up with his skull on top.  All the disarticulated remains from the area all pointed to a robust, well developed adult male.  The following day I washed the skull and found out just what a trooper our Hercules had been….

His cranial cavity was filled with soil and during the washing process a clean crack appeared on the inferior right temporal bone which followed a straight path separating not only the temporal bone but the inferior portion of the occipital bone as well (see below).

Aside from that, the rest of the skull was in excellent condition.  The styloid processes remained intact, as did most of the sphenoid.  Even the superior and inferior nasal conchae emerged from the wash mostly intact.

Delicate bones of the nasal cavity remain intact

As centuries of soil were washed away I noted a healed blunt force trauma to the lateral portion of the right parietal bone.

Indentation in skull visible in top right hand corner

Above the crack which separated the inferior portion of the temporal bone from the superior (the squamosal suture remained intact) there were two deep and sharp cut marks – three to four inches in length (sword wounds, perhaps?) which appeared to have occurred close to the time of death as they had no signs of healing (and ultimately contributed to the post-mortem crack which had appeared as the damp soil dried in the cranial cavity post-excavation).

The blow that killed him? Possible sword or axe cut

On the left side of the occipital there was a puncture wound which penetrated into the brain cavity, causing a thick flake of bone to protrude endocranially about one centimeter.  This flake had remodeled and froze the wound at a ninety degree angle still visible from the interior of the skull.

Puncture wound in base of skull, piercing the endocranial wall

As if these three major traumas weren’t enough, on the endocranial surface of the left parietal I observed two small circular indentations – one approximately a centimeter and a half in diameter, and the other, more posteriorly positioned indent, about a half a centimeter in diameter.  Tuberculosis?  From what I’ve seen of tuberculosis evidence left on bone, these marks fit the profile of bone remodeling due to the presence of the tubercles associated with this condition.

Evidence of disease? Possible tubercle

Second possible tubercle visible as point in centre of skull interior

Also of note was almost complete suture obliteration at the obelion point along the sagittal suture (which is a super academic and fancy way of noting a point along the midline of the skull near the crown of the head).  This correlates with the age assessment based on the dental attrition and leads me to believe that this individual lived into his late forties, early fifties. (I didn’t rate the other points used for aging based on suture obliteration so I’m being conservative in my estimate).

Knitted suture and indication of age

Oh my goodness, do I love osteoarchaeology!  To be able to tell so much about an individual from their bones never ceases to amaze me.  Applying knowledge I learned at university in the field – well that’s pretty awesome too.

Siobhan Swiderski

Archaeological Supervisor,

University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Five students returned and brought with them incredible enthusiasm for the site and endless energy for the archaeological work.

The supervisors, who spent four weeks each on site, at different times during the 15 week season; their work included supervision of hand excavation, assisting students in learning planning and survey techniques, site photography, management of the site archive including checking plans, registers, logging finds, carrying out on-site elements of post excavation work including first aid for finds and care and analysis of the burials. Each of the supervisors brought with them their own interests and experience, including expertise in osteoarchaeology, photography and archiving and have been an invaluable asset to the staff and students of the school.

Supervisor profiles

Emma LaganEmma is has completed two years of her undergraduate degree, undertaking a major in archaeology at Hofstra University in New York. She is currently undertaking a year abroad at Australian National University, Australia, studying archaeology. Emma has worked with the Center for Public Archaeology at Hofstra University, on a number of projects including carrying out post excavation analysis on the King Manor, Rock Hall, Joseph-Lloyd manor projects. In addition, Emma has volunteered on archaeological excavation at the 19th century Evans-Mumbower Mill site, for the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association, Pennsylvania.

Megan BebeeMegan completed her undergraduate degree in 2011 at Plattsburgh State University New York, having undertaken a double major in Audio Production and Anthropology, with a minor in Archaeology. She is currently undertaking a Masters in Archaeology at University College Dublin. Her previous archaeological work includes volunteering with the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association, undertaking an archaeological excavation at the Underground Railroad Stephen Keese-Smith barn site, in Peru, New York.

Melissa ClarkMelissa is in her third year of an undergraduate degree at Ohio State University, majoring in archaeology. She is the Vice President of Anthropology in the OSU Undergraduate Anthropology Club and also a student member of the American Association for Physical Anthropology. Melissa has also worked as a student volunteer for faculty research including cataloguing of the Buffalo Skeletal Collection, Ohio River Valley Native Americans Project and is also a volunteer at the Center of Science and Industry, Columbus, Ohio.

Jessica PoulinJessica is in her third year of BA, completing an honours degree in anthropology, and a minor concentration in women’s studies at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Jessica is a member of the Dawson Anthropology Dept Skeleton Key club, and a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society. She also undertook the Peer Teaching Program at Dawson College’s Academic Skills Centre and is a tutor in language and cognitive skills.

Siobhan SwiderskiSiobhan is in the final year of her undergraduate degree, undertaking a declared major in Anthropology at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus. Siobhan returned to complete her BA after several years in industry and has applied her extensive experience in management of the site archive at Blackfriary. She has a keen interest in osteoarchaeology, has undertaken preliminary post-excavation analysis of the burials from Blackfriary and will undertake skeletal analyses of the remains, for her final year dissertation in Forensic Anthropology.

On my return the Black Friary this year to work for a few days on the excavation, the site has been transformed. The opening of three new excavation cuttings (trenches) particularly the large Cutting 3, uncovering the northern side of the church nave and the southern side of  cloister, has started showing the scale of the remains of the friary hidden for centuries beneath this overgrown field.

There is now also a site office, canteen and other facilities. No more, as last year, the daily treks up and down Haggard Street to the site with wheel barrows laden with tools and equipment to the house that served as the site office, canteen and store.

The team this year consists of a mix of Irish and international students from the USA, Canada, Australia and the UK led, by the ever enthusiastic and energetic Fin O’Carroll the site director.

 Excavating Cutting 4

Last season the main focus was on trying to understand the few significant pieces of visible masonry on the site surviving from chancel area of the Friary church. On my first couple of days on the site (4th-5th August), I get to witness and participate in some of the exciting discoveries made this season which are giving an insight to the Black Friary and the lives of the people of Trim in the medieval period. This year as mentioned in previous blogs both burials and a large quantity of disarticulated bone has been uncovered particularly in that part of Cutting 3 located in the nave of the church. It is likely that the church was used for burial long after the dissolution of the Friary in the 16th century. Many of the burials were then disturbed when the remnants of the Friary were used as a source of building stone in the 18th century. Particularly poignant is the infant burial Siobhan and Jessica excavated.

Siobhan and Jessica excavation the infant burial

Siobhan, studying anthropology, in the US is an expert on identifying bones and also giving an initial interpretation of the remains uncovered. A skull excavated by Ian and myself was that of a man of around 50 years who was in good health but may have met a violent death and had previously been wounded. Though in good condition his worn teeth give insight into his diet; the medieval milling process resulted in a lot of grit in the milled flour – the lack of dental decay Fin informed us, is due to the lack of sugar in the medieval diet.

Ian recording the uncovered skull

Excavating skeletal remains is, I find out, very slow painstaking work with many pauses to photograph and plan as the work progresses. In the new Cutting 4 a small piece of a cloister column is uncovered.

  Cloister column fragment in Cutting 4

  Documenting Cutting 3

When I return to site in the last week of August I am greeted with the news that in Cutting 4A, the southeast corner of the cloister has been located, but more significantly remnants of some of the cloister arches have been found. The stone work uncovered is of very high quality. The fact it is a fossilised limestone which is very hard to work, Fin relates, is further indication that the Black Friary was a high status site and a building of considerable significance in Medieval Trim. This  reflects the status of its patron Geoffrey de Geneville. A mason’s mark on a sandstone column recovered connects us to the skilled masons who worked on the construction of the Friary.

  Uncovering the Black Friary cloister

Cloister arch fragments

As it is the final week of the Field school much of the work this week is completing section drawings and plans of the features uncovered. But in Cutting 3 the lower body of a possible in situ burial has been uncovered by Amy and Isabelle in what may be a wall chamber in the church nave. When these bones are recorded and lifted beneath this burial they uncover another skull and what turns out to be a charnel pit.

  Aimee & Isabelle excavating the possible church wall chamber burials

 Aimee recording the possible church wall chamber burials

Aimee, Ian & Fin recordong the possible church wall chamber burials

Siobhan and Aimee excavating the wall chamber burials

The week ends with visits from classes from the local primary school.  I even learn from the varied questions the kids ask, for example an initial assessment of the age of a skull can be made from sutures between the bones which knit as you get older.

Siobhan, lifting the skull a possible female burial

And so my few days at the Black Friary come to an end. Siobhan, Aimee and Isabelle also bid farewell as the 2011 season ends.

Mick Mongey, a community member, has participated in Season 1 & Season 2 excavations at Blackfriary

Blackfriary Open Day is scheduled for September 25th 2011! This event, supported by Trim Town Council, Meath County Council and the AIA Site Preservation Programme, will give the public an opportunity to explore the Season 1 & 2 excavations and to examine the artifacts discovered during archaeological excavations works.

There will be tours of the site by archaeological site director Finola O’Carroll, and Irish Archaeology Field School staff and students will be on hand with information on the excavation process.

The event is family friendly with entertainment including archaeology events for children.

For more info, contact us (www.iafs.ie). We would love to see you there!