Medidas a adoptar para corregir la situación

Building Mesolithic campsites and casting bronze axes: Mogh Roith

One of the most active living history groups to have made the transition from re- enactment to reconstruction is Mogh Roith, a Limerick-based collective of both professional and amateur archaeologists, historians and craft workers who have been involved in a wide range of projects to date. Archaeologist and folklorist Billy Mag Fhloinn – also active with Umha Aois – Dave Mooney and Brendan Griffin have been instrumental driving forces behind the wide range of activities that they have completed, which include such varied projects as constructing a Mesolithic settlement for a TV production to running workshops on various craft processes such as ceramics and bronze casting as well as organising living

Figure 5: Work in progress on the construction of a Mesolithic house of the Mount Sandel type, at the UCD Centre for Experimental Archaeology and Ancient Technologies (Photo: Aidan O’Sullivan)

history presentations. The skills they have amassed over the years has since seen them branch out into research away from the arena of living history. Mag Fhloinn is arguably the most prolific and skilled experimental archaeologist currently working in Ireland and is proficient across an impressive range of craft disciplines. His own research, undertaken either independently or in collaboration with Umha Aois, focuses on exploring the mechanics of bronze casting. Given the lack of archaeological evidence for furnace morphology and tools such as tongs, Mag Fhloinn is working on investigating practical solutions that allow for efficient and accurate casting results by experimenting with solutions such as socketed crucibles and wooden implements for manoeuvring crucibles from the furnace to the mould and making the pour (Mag Fhloinn, pers. comm.).

Figure 6: Bronze casting by Billy Mag Fhloinn at the Irish National Heritage Park (Photo: Tríona Sørensen)

From making leather shoes to writing archaeological leather reports: Gael agus Gall

Another living history group that has seen some of its members cross over into academic experimental archaeological research is the Kildare-based, Gael agus Gall, a group focusing on the history and archaeology of Ireland from the start of the early medieval period to the end of the Viking Age. Founder member John Nicholl is a clear example of how gaining an experiential proficiency with a craft can lead to research, reconstruction and even professional employment. Nicholl began making replica shoes out of an interest in leatherwork and a need to have some authentic footwear when taking part in living history events. As he became more practised, the process began to throw up questions concerning the techniques and methods used in antiquity and he began to research the archaeology of footwear in medieval Ireland.

With over a decade of experience in the manufacture of shoes and other leather items, Nicholl has since branched out into the study of leather finds from excavation, establishing a niche for himself within the archaeological community here in Ireland. Years of experimentation with leatherwork have afforded him important insights into the construction, use and wear of leather items during the medieval period, enabling him to better interpret the material found in archaeological contexts. This kind of journey from experiential learning to academic research is becoming more and more common in Ireland as the traditional barriers between academics and enthusiasts are being broken down, allowing for the emergence of a more inclusive and productive dialogue.

The reconstruction and analysis of archaeological textiles

One central aspect of living history and re-enactment is the creation of replica, period-appropriate clothing to be worn when taking part in presentations. For some, this process has led to an interest in the reconstruction of textiles and garments found within the archaeological record.

Aislinn Collins, Niamh O’Rourke and Melissa Sheils have all made reproductions of the Moy gown. One of the most complete archaeological textile finds in Ireland to date, the Moy gown was found in a bog in Co. Clare in 1931 but no scientific analysis has been carried out on the find since then. The woollen dress is of a style common between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries and although fragmentary, enough of the gown has survived in order to allow a reconstruction to be made (http://historicalrecreations.blogspot.dk/2011/04/moy-gown.html). O’Rourke is interested in analysing the wear and degradation on the seams on her reconstruction, which so far, parallel those seen on the original find (O’Rourke, pers. comm.). Collins is also experimenting with the preservation of the dress and the impact the bog had on the woollen material by carrying out control experiments with similar woven fabric, which has been buried in a bog with pH levels matching those at Moy (Collins, pers. comm.). Collins and Shiels are each currently working on reconstructing the sixteenth-seventeenth century Shinrone gown, after having

been granted access to examine the original find at the National Museum. Collins has also established the Focus on Irish Textiles Event, an annual symposium at University College Cork focused on the study and reconstruction of Irish historical and archaeological textiles.