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Showing posts from June, 2018

Grenoble Archaeological Museum | Two Oil Lamps

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< Back to Table of Contents These two little terracotta oil lamps date to the late 3rd to early 4th centuries. I’m probably offending the gods of archaeology somewhere by describing them as ‘cute’, but they so are!  Anyone following this series of posts will be aware that I have a near-pathological fascination with artefacts from periods that are rather underrepresented in Ireland. It is true that these lamps closely fit this pattern, but in this instance my fascination is more that they have survived on a site that was repeatedly dug and redug for graves, while buildings were expanded, remodelled, and demolished for more than 1000 years. These two little lamps have survived all this with barely a scratch  (relatively speaking ... baring a few fractures & a bit of light restoration ...)  … they’re just gorgeous …

Co Sligo: Archaeological Objects at The British Museum

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The British Museum holds just eight items identified as coming from Co Sligo, but what a collection they are! The majority of these are assigned to either the Early Bronze Age (?) or the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age (2 each). The most common object types represented are flat axes and lunulae (2 each). Only two material types are represented in this assemblage: Metal (7) and Stone (1). < Table of Contents Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age: Metal items Sligo (near) lunula 18490301.220 Gold lunula. Flat sheet crescent of beaten gold with semi-circular terminals rotated relative to the crescent. It is decorated with an incised geometric pattern. The decoration consists of two or three parallel lines and an accompanying row of triangles parallel to the inner and outer edges. At the centre of each horn is a sequence of six diamond shaped motifs. http://britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1395547&partId=1 Slig...

Grenoble Archaeological Museum | Iron Cross

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< Back to Table of Contents Many of the posts in this series concentrate on artefacts and features I know well and have seen on several visits to these musea. This large iron cross, however, is a recent addition to the exhibition (or, I’ve utterly failed to notice it before). It was constructed from wrought iron in the 15 th  century and decorated the summit of Saint-Laurent’s bell tower. It consists of a vertical shaft that was split into two to form the horizontal beam. The ends of the horizontal beam and the top of the cross shaft are each decorated with arrangements of three leaves. The leaves have turned-up edges and enclose lily flowers. The use of threes symbolises the Christian trinity, while the lily is commonly used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary, the annunciation, or the resurrection. The museum’s information card adds that the leaves and lilies may have been added in 1646, when the tower was rebuilt. The dolphin-shaped wind wane appears to be an original feat...

Co Antrim: Archaeological Objects at The British Museum Part II

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Co Antrim: Archaeological Objects at The British Museum II The British Museum holds 806 items identified as coming from Co Antrim. A further six items are identified as coming from either Antrim or Derry~Londonderry, two from Antrim/Down, and one from Antrim/Donegal. The majority of these (445) are assigned to the Neolithic/Bronze Age, followed by the Neolithic (86), and Early Medieval period (83). The most common object type represented are axes (172). The main material types represented in this assemblage are Stone (596), Metal (121), and Pottery (70). < Table of Contents Neolithic/Bronze Age: Stone items Antrim end scraper 0.968 Flint end scraper. http://britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1371011&partId=1 Antrim notched scraper 0.968 Flint notched scraper. http://britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1371010&partId=1 Antrim knife 1...