Field full of skeletons - Next move?

Ostrom

As the title suggests...we have a field full of skeletons!

Without the money to pay for a proper investigation, is there anything that we can do non-invasively?

Some bones were dated in the 80's and placed in the 13th century, uniform east-west layout of individual corpses. Many are still untouched in-situ, others were moved for building.

Anyone have any contacts for an osteoarchaeologist? Are there any practicing in Ireland?

Bog Butter

Laureen Buckley is one of Ireland's leading osteoarchaeologists. She works independantly but does a lot of work for Archaeological Development Services who are based on Amiens street Dublin.

You could contact all the different Universities in Ireland which do Archaeology e.g UCD and NUI Galway. One of them might be interested in doing a research dig. ADS (mentioned above) are doing courses in osteoarchaeology with Laureen Buckley so they too might be interested in funding a dig as part of their course offerings.

Basically you should be thinking whats in it for you. There is money to be made in your field full of skeletons. There are plenty of rich Americans and who will pay for expensive archaeological courses and/or digs in Ireland and the universities and companies i.e ADS know this.

My advice to you would be to contact as many people and organisations as possible. Get some good advice from a range of different archaeologists and not just from one source.

e.g:
Kildare archaeological society
Institute for Irish Archaeologists
Archaeological companies
Laureen Buckley
Conor Newman (NUI Galway)
Gabriel Coooney (UCD)
National Museum of Ireland

edit: I should also add that nothing can be done without a state issued licence to excavate for that particular site which is only issued to someone who has being issued a individual state issued licence to excavate.

chrissor

Just out of interest, where is the field full of skeletons?

Medievalist

Many archaeology companies employ or sub-contract osteo-archaeologists. Contacting the museum is always a good call. They may even let you know if you can get funding etc for an excavation. At least then you'll have the input of an official state body

Conor108

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30832?utm_source=c-section :D

Degsy

Conor108 wrote: »

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30832?utm_source=c-section :D

Christ thats unfunny.

Riamfada

Degsy wrote: »

Christ thats unfunny.

that is just because you fell for it :P

uncle ernie

"The skeletons lived in this mud-brick structure, which, based on what we know of these people, was probably haunted," he said.

ha ha...

ahara

Department of the Environments policy re. skellies is that they must be preserved in situ unless it's other wise unavoidable.

If you wanna build something on the site you will probably receive the neccessary licence to excavate or if there is some other risk of the site being destroyed.

The chances of you getting a licence to excavate in order to run an archaeological field school and make a quick buck are in or about zero. The chances of any archaeology company funding an excavation are even lower. They are unlikely to spend their own money on running an excavation. All commercial archaeology is tied up with the construction industry so they are all taking a huge wallop at the minute.

Sorry if this all sounds very negative but thats the way it is. If your interested in finding out about the legislative framework and the like surrounding the excavation of human skeletons the Heriatge Council produced a guide a few years back called "Human remains in Irish Archaeology, Something something, something" (Can't remember the rest) you should find it on the wordwellbooks.com website or in Hodges and Figgis Bookshop in Dublin.

If you wanna get more info on the site look up excavations.ie and search under the townland name.

MrPatMustard

How many folks are buried there roughly?

citizen_p

you could always ring time team....
do they still do that?

IIMII

Often feel sad when I hear about these discoveries. Too many skeletons are lying in boxes in warehouses from digs. It's a pity that if skeletons are removed from a burial site that they aren't reinterred immediately or shortly afterwards, particularly if they are from Christian burial sites

dungeon

EErie!!!!!!!

dungeon

What do you want to do with the fields?

Doozie

i have a friend who is a freelance osteoarchaeologist. If you want her number you can pm me. I know Laureen Buckley tends to be quite busy. She also works as a forensic anthropologist.

Barry O D

you could contact some of the universities archaeology departments they may do it for free as long as their funding can support it. and there are many undergraduates(me being one) and post graduates who volenteer to work with the department