Life of an Archaeology Student.

By Jacqueline Bonner– Irish Language Editor.

As an Archaeology student, I feel strongly about the field, and what it can do for people who identify as Irish. This article was inspired by the (later mentioned) Lowell excavation that Queen’s did in conjunction with UMass in late August and Early September, the finds and context of which implied interesting things about the Irish, specifically the diaspora community in Massachusetts at the time. 

Though Archaeology allows the common people everywhere of every bygone era to be understood and seen, in Ireland, where so much of our ancient religion and practices are centred on the land and were so long ago that many of the structures’ significance have fallen to obscurity- it has added importance. Not just as a way to satisfy curiosity, but it becomes a method of establishing cultural markers where others- language, clothing, food, have been partially or wholly lost to factors such as occupation, globalization, and the simple march of time. 

Additionally, on top of the erosion of our culture via occupation by the British much written Irish genealogical history was lost via Irish violence- such as the 1922 bombing of the records office. (Which my secondary school history teacher told us about with many tears) Archaeology and History are supposed to be two complementary disciplines, but due to so many written documents being both slowly eroded and suddenly destroyed, there are gaps and pieces in Ireland’s history that Archaeology can fill. 

Perhaps coincidentally, though this is just my own personal Archaeology student opinion, I’ve noticed that many archaeologists are very interested in Irish history or in Irish itself. Partially because people with an interest in Ireland-based archaeology will have no problem finding a job, as it’s in high demand here, (estimates show an increase in the future) but I think it’s also because those who have any interest in Ireland’s past share the same inkling regarding why it is important for us as a country. Personally, I have met many Gaelgoirs and people who know much about Ireland’s history as an Archaeology student, hopefully, myself included! 

Not to mention that, even outside of the ‘pure’ Archaeology job field, wonderful tourist attractions like portal dolmens and Anglo-Irish settlements like castles mean there’s a lot of money in the cultural revival of Ireland. I went to a ‘recreation’ event where they sang Irish songs and served classic late medieval dishes, which had to be booked a month in advance, and was packed. I was pleased to observe that it wasn’t only tourists, and a large amount of the people present were locals who were interested in the immersive aspect of learning more about their local Archaeological sites and history. 

 One of the two main hosts who were conducting the entertainment there said they had done an Archaeology degree, which I, as someone who thought the complementary cultural attraction side of Archaeology was an excellent backup option, was delighted at. 

Such cultural attractions are doubly important in places like the Aran Islands. The Islands have a limited economy, and so many of the visitors being Gaeilgoirs increases the importance of every revenue stream. 

Also, when discussing the history of Ireland and the Irish, we mustn’t forget the diaspora. The Irish American community famously started from a very low place in American society, and as such their history sometimes mirrors Ireland when it comes to economic troubles and the struggle to preserve culture. Despite the similarities, there hasn’t been a lot of interest in Irish-Centric Archaeology over there, as Irish Americans are more well-documented than the Irish. But such digs as the one in August and September 2022 in Lowell, show that documentation and proof they were there is not the same as knowing how they live- evidence of ‘middle-class’ toys and porches were found where it was assumed an Irish ghetto was. 

To gather some student opinions on the matter, I went to Archaeology classmates, and then non-Archaeology students, and asked them to voice their thoughts on “Is archaeology particularly important for Ireland, and why?” 

The opinions from both sides were in positive for it is particularly important, (Though non-archaeology students seemed less strongly opinionated on the matter overall). One of the most moving sentiments I heard was that since the Archaeological record of both Ireland and Britain are so similar (with our ancient people having a strong overlap) that Archaeology in Ireland, particularly in Northern Ireland, has the power to unite the two main groups in common cause.

This struck me so because it really made me realize that both the Catholic and the Protestant communities have so much to gain from having cultural records in common. I truly believe that having such physical, recorded proof of two groups being so alike, such as in Archaeological records, speaks more eloquently on the matter of cross-community reconciliation than many of us ever could.