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Category Archives: Archaeology
Ireland=Middle-earth
My name is Kerry and I’m a Tolkien-junky. Over the holidays I saw The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey six times. The cinematography, special effects, and characters were so real I couldn’t help myself. Only snowstorms and icy roads kept me … Continue reading
Posted in Archaeology, History, Language
Tagged archaeology, Burren, dolmens, Gollum, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, ringforts, standing stones, The Hobbit
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Smoke on the Water…and Fire in the Sky
Last week, while it was still officially winter, the temperature reached 87°F here in Michigan — for not one freaky day but for several days straight! What’s wrong with this picture? Well, normally our average high this time of year … Continue reading
Posted in Agriculture, Archaeology, Astronomy, Climate
Tagged climate change, comet impact, dendrochronology, Ireland, Iron Age, weather
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Bed-Head
At the age of four, I awoke from a bizarre dream. A human skull bounced into my room – much like a basketball – and got me out of bed with an invitation to join it and its friends in … Continue reading
Posted in Archaeology, Religion, Warfare
Tagged archaeology, celebrations, cult of the head, festivals, head-hunting, Ireland, Samhain
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Pulling Strings
Since many of us have a chance to enjoy outdoor music festivals this summer, I thought it would be fun to examine the history of some ancient Irish musical instruments. First up – the big one – the harp, or … Continue reading
Fortress Feng Shui
In Tag! You’re It! I mentioned that I suddenly became “king’” of the library when our director went to lunch and never came back. The six-month reign I was saddled with finally came to an end when a new director … Continue reading
Posted in Archaeology, Housing, Law
Tagged archaeology, brehon laws, Ireland, ringforts
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An Ancient Beam of Light
Waiting for the sun on a winter’s day And a beam of light shines across the floor. Mysterious ring, a magical ring – But forgotten is the race that no one knows. So ends the song Newgrange by Clannad from … Continue reading
Posted in Archaeology, Astronomy, Religion
Tagged archaeology, Clannad, funerary customs, Newgrange, Otherworld, passage graves, solar calendars, Stone Age
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Space…the final frontier
As I sit down to pen a commissioned piece – a chapter entitled Reinventing the Obituary File for the Digital Age in a book aimed at library professionals – I’m mindful of how much we take reading and writing for … Continue reading
BOOK REVIEW The Road Wet, The Wind Close
As the weather grows cooler in northern climes and the days more blustery, thoughts turn to curling up with a good book. And here’s a good one…the second in my travelogue series. Roy, James Charles. (1993). The Road Wet, the … Continue reading
Posted in Archaeology, Book Reviews, History, Religion, Travel
Tagged archaeology, Celtic Church, Ireland, monasteries, travel
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