Roads archaeology brings new knowledge of local Iron Age life

Dr Katharina Becker and Dr Donna de Groene in Kilcullen.

The value of animal bones in establishing what were ways of life two thousand years ago was explained in an event last Sunday in Kilcullen Heritage Centre, writes Brian Byrne. New Pastures - Iron Age livestock and lifeways, presented by UCC-based archaeologists Dr Katharina Becker and Dr Donna de Groene, outlined progress on a project funded by the Irish Research Council.

The research is based on material recovered from archaeological sites excavated during major roads projects carried out in Ireland since the 1990s, with a particular emphasis on discoveries along main roads in Kildare and Laois.

Those attending the event — one of the 70-plus contributions to National Heritage Week across County Kildare — heard that such 'Celtic Tiger' projects vastly expanded the number of Iron Age sites known in Ireland. "There's a really good density of very recent road developments criss-crossing through the region," New Pastures project leader Dr Becker said. "The archaeological excavations opened by local authorities are particularly close together in County Kildare."

The sites discussed at the Kilcullen event were Dun Ailinne and The Curragh, Mullamast and the townland of Moone, and The Heath and Ballydavis in Co Laois. Discussing Dun Ailinne and the findings of Professor Bernard Wailes and Professor Pam Crabtree, Dr Becker noted the 'tremendous' archaeology currently being undertaken there by Professor Susan Johnston, and said that the results of excavations from the road works show context for places like Dun Ailinne in a very different way. In relation to the Ballydavis site, where a large number of bones have been discovered, she said it is a really important and key location for understanding the Iron Age in Ireland.

While there are varied interpretations of the uses of various structures found at these sites, and the multiple phases in their construction, the finding of lots of animal bones in the locations offer some 'very interesting' ideas about animal husbandry, Dr Becker noted. She also commented on artefacts found which had been manufactured in other countries, notably at Ballydavis, which suggest that even in Iron Age times Ireland was 'very connected' with other places through significant travel and trade. A number of infant burials from the period had also been found at Moone.

Dr de Groene, a zooarchaeology and isotope specialist who is studying human-animal relationships in prehistory, spoke on research into animal bones found in the sites, which provide both evidence of what animals were used and what people were eating. "Cattle were the most exploited animal in those Iron Age societies," she said. "It seems they were communities relying on cattle, sheep and pigs." She added that horses 'were quite rare' though found in most sites. "Dogs were present too but not very common, and there is evidence of a very small number of wild animals." Cutting patterns on the bones suggest that all animals were eaten. Dr Becker also referenced the work in this area by Professor Pam Crabtree.

Dr de Groene told how ancient DNA can still be extracted from the bones, and further information is being gathered through examination of isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and strontium taken up in the animals' systems while grazing. "There's a lot of information still to come, it will be very interesting," she added.

Work on the animal DNA is also expected to provide information on breeding strategies used by Iron Age communities going back as far as 1000 BC, which may reveal, for instance, if and what proportion of female cattle were kept for milk production. She noted that animals in the Iron Age were smaller than their equivalents today — "all the sites show that." Physical examination of the remains can also provide information such as whether they were used as traction animals.

The New Pastures project, begun last year, is due for completion in 2024. It includes leading experts from Ireland, the UK, the US and France, with local heritage and community stakeholders that include County Kildare's Heritage Office and the Kilcullen Heritage Group.

Other matters discussed at the event included the possibility of screening for pathogens in bones found in the burial sites of infants at Moone, to see if infections were involved in their deaths. Dr Becker also noted that much archaeological material in Ireland remains untouched because investigations have been mostly confined to road development areas. “The big lesson we have learned from that is there is stuff everywhere,” she said.

Reference bones from UCD displayed at Kilcullen event.

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