Archaeology 360: Killogilleen Church & Graveyard, Co. Galway

There’s probably nothing to really recommend a visit to Killogilleen church and graveyard, near Craughwell, Co. Galway. It’s rather typical of traditional burial sites in rural west of Ireland … there’s a ruined 15^th century church, there’s dated memorials going back to the 1600s, and continuing as late as the 1980s. You seen one you seen ‘em all! Right? … not this time!

Back in 1996 I was employed on a FÁS Scheme to oversee the cutting back of the ivy and a general cleanup of the site. I was also tasked with compiling a book of the gravestone inscriptions on the site [available here]. One day in July I got called over to see ‘something interesting’ that had just been found … I’d have a few of these calls and for a variety of reasons. Some were cool architectural fragments that were reused as grave markers, some were just rocks (used as grave markers) … in a graveyard? Who'd believe it? I think it’s fair to say that I wasn’t filled with tingling anticipation at this latest discovery. I really should have been! What had been found under the matted grass was a previously unrecorded carved representation of a human face. I’ll let you read all about it in the Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society [here]. I don’t’ have a definite answer to who might be represented, but I definitely gave it my best shot to cover all bases … a member of the O’Killeen clergy, a bishop of Kilmacduagh, Christ, the Virgin Mary, Iron Age idols, or even Odin (because Why Not, right?) … added to this I threw in the idea that the facial lines might not just indicate advanced age, but could represent facial tattooing (and I wondered why the doors to academia weren’t thrown open to me?). One way or another, I got all this past the Editor (including a sneaky thanks in the acknowledgments to in Rory Gallagher, from whom the title of the paper was stolen).

Still of Digital Heritage Age model. Used with permission

Despite harboring the hope that – one day – someone would excavated the block of stone to see if there are further decorative elements in the portion below the ground that would give clues to the age, function, or who is represented, I don’t give it an inordinate amount of thought. Thus, I was completely unprepared when I got tagged on Twitter by Digital Heritage Age [Twitter | Website | Sketchfab]. These good folks had been out to Killogillen and scanned ‘my’ enigmatic head. The resulting image is simply fantastic. The carving was pretty clear when it was discovered in 1996, but has quickly been colonized by lichen and is rather hard to see the detail that was once visible. I’ve long regretted this natural process & have occasionally though that it should have been either reburied or excavated to move it to a more controlled environment. But there on my phone was the Digital Heritage Age image … absolutely startling in its crispness and clarity. All the detail I could see back in the 90s was there & even some of the stuff that wasn’t easily seen or understood now shines out. Since then the file has been uploaded to Sketchfab [here] & you can rotate it, see it from any side you like, and examine it to your heart's content. I'm simply astounded by it & have tried putting my viewpoint inside the head to look at the face from the inside to imaging the scenes this carving must have witnessed over the years. I’m given to understand that you can download the file & create a 3D print your own Tatto’d Lady. I've always said that I didn't have much use for a 3D printer, but I feel that my mind is being changed!

All of this reminded me that last summer I took my new camera out to Killogilleen. The previous camera had two lenses and the resulting video could be stitched together to form an immersive 360-degree experience. The new camera has eight lenses and produces video that’s not only 360-degree, but also 3D (at least when you’re viewing it on an Oculus or Google Cardboard headset). Because I can’t easily edit the resulting clips into a single file, I’ve uploaded it as a YouTube playlist & you can find it here [here]. So, to give context to this gorgeous Digital Heritage Age scan, please take a few minutes to let me take you on a wander through the site. Hear the birdsong, the occasional bark of a dog, and a car passing in the distance as you look out on the ivy-covered remains of the church and the gravestones in this quiet corner of County Galway.

You can view this 360-degree video on an ordinary browser or on the dedicated YouTube app for your smartphone. However, for best results we recommend the more 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.

For anyone interested, I’ve there’s some of the other bits & pieces I’ve produced about Killogilleen over the years:

Book:

Cillogcillín: gravestone inscriptions from the church of Killogilleen, Craughwell, Co. Galway

Papers:

Tattooed Lady?: a carved stone head from the graveyard of Killogilleen, Co. Galway

A Statistical Analysis and Preliminary Classification of Gravestones from Craughwell, Co. Galway

Lecture:

An archaeologist among the gravestones: reading two Irish graveyards

Video:

Killogilleen Graveyard, Craughwell, Co. Galway

Blog posts:

Killora & Killogilleen graveyards in Craughwell, Co. Galway