Early Irish Ironworking

Brian Dolan
UCD School of Archaeology Brian.t.Dolan@ucd.ie
PhD supervised by Dr. Aidan O’Sullivan and Dr. Helen Lewis

Research Questions Contribution

•Who produced and used iron in the This project hopes to offer a new
early medieval period? synthesis of Irish early medieval
•How was iron produced? ironworking material, contributing to an
•What was produced, where, and by understanding of the social context of
who? technology in early Ireland
•Where was iron being smelted, forged,
recycled and deposited?
Bog Ore deposit from Turraun, Co. Offaly
Acknowledgements
Experimental Furnace This PhD research is being
carried out within the UCD
The Dataset School of Archaeology with the
Scott’s (1990) seminal and Methodology kind support of the Irish Research
Council for the Humanities and
comprehensive Early Irish Ironworking The project will combine a
Abstract identified 91 early medieval ironworking comprehensive database of
Social Sciences, a National
Iron is and was a key material in people’s University of Ireland Travelling
sites. However, almost two decades later relevant sites with contextual Studentship, Marie Curie Early
social lives. This PhD project will analysis of the material at various scales
the quantity and quality of new data has Stage Training funding and the
examine the role of iron technology in of working in the landscape. Case studies Humanities Institute of Ireland.
increased exponentially. Current work by
the perception and performance of social at regional, local and micro levels will
UCD’s EMAP Project has identified 293
identity, its use and interpretation in daily examine every stage of the process of
potentially relevant sites up to 2002. .
life and its meaning in terms of early ironworking from creation to destruction.
medieval ideologies. 70
Slag and/or metallurgical analysis may
60
Contact
Numbe r of S ite s

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40 be undertaken, where appropriate, in Please write your email in the space
Using a variety of methodologies 30
conjunction with University College
combining traditional approaches with
20 below if you would like more
10
London. Archaeological data will be information about this project.
modern scientific analyses it will 0
compared with the historical sources and
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investigate the technological and social modern theoretical perspectives on the

context of ironworking. Old and new data Specialist slag and metallurgical analysis social role of technology will be
will be examined to provide insights into of sites has become the norm and this considered.
the role of ironworking technology in the combined with the quantity of new data
perception and performance of social has changed the nature of the evidence.
identity, its use and interpretation in daily Recently excavated sites have produced
life and its meaning in terms of early slag assemblages measured in tons,
Further Reading
medieval ideologies. dwarfing anything previously known. Scott, B. 1990 Early Irish Ironworking.
Belfast, Ulster Museum.

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