Archaeology 360: Early Medieval House, Rinnaraw, Co Donegal

Anyone following this series of posts will be aware that most concentrate on relatively well known and accessible monuments, but for this one I'm taking a different approach. I’m going to be frank – there’s probably little reason to visit this site in person. It’s on no ‘must see’ list, nor does it come highly recommended in any guide book, but for all that, it’s special to me! This is Rinnaraw, a little Early Medieval house site, overlooking Sheephaven Bay. It is overgrown and quiet now, but it was excavated by Dr Tom Fanning from 1987 to 1992 [Reports Here | Final Publication] and was the scene of my very first archaeological excavation [Reminiscences Here].

 


I worked there in 1989 and hadn’t been back since. Watching the images now, I’m immediately thrown back to the sounds and dedicated activity of over 30 years ago and it has given me a place to lightly meditate on my life and the passing years. I realise that very few reading this blog post will share these ancient memories, but I do hope it can provide a relatively quiet place for thoughtful reflection and the enjoyment of a little-known archaeological gem.

For this one I’ve stuck with the diegetic sound recorded on site, as opposed to covering it over with a musical piece. Unfortunately, that leaves quite a bit of wind in the microphone, but you can still hear the birdsong, the passing cars and even (I think) the distant sound of the waves breaking in the bay.


You can view it on an ordinary browser or on the dedicated YouTube app, but for best results we recommend the immersive experience that comes with an Oculus/Google Cardboard headset. Please feel free to Like and Share the video and Subscribe to the Archaeology 360 channel. If you’re feeling peculiarly generous and wish to help purchase snacks to sustain the Chapples Minor in the field, please drop something in the Tip Jar on the top right of this page.


Location: Rinnaraw, Co. Donegal, Ireland

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Always remember to draw the swastika turning to the right": Some thoughts on swastika directionality in Early Medieval Irish Art

Image
Swastikas are, for a number of reasons, endlessly fascinating symbols. Like all symbols, they are only invested with the meanings we give them. Otherwise they are just little shapes and drawings that mean nothing in and of themselves. Owing to its long history and brief (if traumatic) association with Nazism, the swastika probably has a stronger resonance than most. You won’t spend long on the internet attempting to discuss the swastika before someone, trying to be helpful, notes that the Nazi version rotated counter-clockwise (elbows pointing left) and was bad, but the good Buddhist/Hindu version rotated clockwise. They may be trying to be helpful, but they are invariably wrong. It’s true that the version Adolf Hitler designed for the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei only went one direction: counter-clockwise. What’s wrong is that not all other ( i.e. non-Nazi) swastikas turn the opposite direction (elbows pointing right). Rather than dutifully plod through a debun...
Read more

The dreaded first test post!

Image
An irregularly updated blog about archaeology and related madness! ... might just be good! ** I'm always looking for guest writers! So if you have something that you want to say about archaeology, please get in touch! ** [** If you like any of the posts on this blog, please consider making a small donation. Each donation helps keep the Irish Radiocarbon & Dendrochronological Dates project going! **] <A HREF="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?rt=tf_sw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Frobmchaarc-21%2F8002%2Fb7e77064-bfea-4ba8-954d-a415ec05ad0c&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.co.uk Widgets</A>
Read more

Three Billboards Outside University College London: A case of approved plagiarism by Prof Andrew Bevan et al.

Image
Introduction The oft-recited adage is that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Going by this logic, there can be no higher praise from an academic than outright plagiarism of your work. I have had recent cause to be on the receiving end of just such praise and I can assure you, dear reader, that it doesn’t feel like a compliment at all. In fact, it sucks. I decided that, rather than meekly accept it, I was going to fight back for the recognition due to my work. To this end, I reached out to the two universities involved (University College London and Plymouth University) and the publishing journal (PNAS) and asked them to initiate investigations into the conduct of their employees/authors. I trusted that these institutions would be keen to ensure that their academics adhered to the highest standards and that any deviation would be met with swift correction. I was wrong and my trust was sorely misplaced. Until now I have only really discussed this issue with my cont...
Read more