Dating from the 12th century and decorated in foliate patterns, this small, bronze ball is actually a hand-warmer. Inside the metal sphere, which unscrews into two halves, is an iron cup that held hot charcoal. This clever design allowed the hands to be warmed without getting burnt. Medieval hand-warmers, such as this one, were predominantly […]
Sharing Ireland’s amazing archaeology as well as interesting sites from around the world. A blog by Wexford archaeologist Colm Moriarty.
The Lismore Drinking-Horn Mount
Some Irish words with Norse Origins
The Irish Rebel and the Ancient Sword
A Satirical Chamberpot from 18th century Dublin
Colm: Thanks a million for sharing that Michael, I would...
Michael Sheehan: Thank you Colm for a great collection. I well reme...
I recently spotted what appeared to be remarkably modern looking haircuts in Albrecht Druer’s woodcut of 1521 AD[i]. This image […]
Here is another selection of amazing images from our Photography Competition, this time spanning the entire breadth of Irish archaeology. Don’t […]
On a bend of the River Shannon, Ireland’s largest watercourse, a small band of hunter-gathers came to together nearly […]
The Neolithic passage tomb at Newgrange is the most visited archaeological site in Ireland. Over 5000 years old it pre-dates the first phase of […]
The remarkable Broighter hoard, arguably the finest treasure trove of the Irish Iron Age, was discovered on a February evening […]
In 1904 a remarkable archaeological site was uncovered at Oseberg, Norway. It consisted of an astonishingly well-preserved Viking ship […]
