Science Week at Dublinia

November is upon us and Science Week is here. It’s time to get our geek on and look at some of the ways STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) are being used to examine and display the past! This year we have not one, but three real treats in store for you with a host of experts from Virtual Reality, 3D Modelling and Reflectance Transformation Imaging on site. Have no clue what any of that means? Read on….

So we get it, Virtual Reality doesn’t exactly scream history and archaeology, right? When you put on the goggles and head sets you tend to think more of 3D Gaming in big leather recliners…. But organisations like Noho are using this advanced technology to recreate (with the utmost historical accuracy) artefacts, objects and places from the past to allow us to experience them in a completely new and exciting way. Their technology allows you to walk into a Viking House exactly as it would have stood all those centuries ago and explore it as if you were there yourself, or to stroll past a passage tomb in the most surprising of locations such as O’Connell Street! All of this allows you to investigate and experience the past in a way that is completely immersive, often overwhelming and playful!

Not sure what 3D modelling is exactly?? Well let us explain… Put simply 3D modelling is the production of a digital, mathematical representation of the surface of an object using particular computer software. But how does this benefit archaeology and the study of history? Think of a fragile ceramic pot, or battle-worn Viking shield, both of which might be too delicate to touch or examine by hand. 3D modelling allows us to recreate the surfaces of these artefacts in photo-like form that can contain so much detail, they are able to be investigated from the model without potentially damaging the object. This allows us to record and preserve even the most unstable of artefacts for generations of historians, archaeologists and the culturally curious to come In Dublinia as part of Science Week we will be looking specifically at the use of this technology in the study, preservation and display of weaponry.

Sounding like a tongue-twister, Reflectance Transformation Imaging has enormous value to the study of history. It is a process by which different forms and levels of light are used with photography to examine an object’s surface and reveal what is not visible to the naked eye – kind of similar to that annoying light over your bathroom mirror that shows up your moustache (grrrr). It can reveal differences in a surface’s texture or condition and can also monitor how those changes develop over time. Alongside this we will also be showcasing the use of 3D printing and how technology can be used to recreate historical artefacts to make replicas which can be easily handled and studied without the risk of damage to an original object.

Science Week demonstrations are running from 11.00am – 4.00pm on the 11^th, 12^th, 18^th and 19^th November. Each demo is free with the price of admission to Dublinia and no booking is required. This is an event not to be missed!

Black times in Medieval Dublin... Halloween at Dublinia

Have you noticed a chill creep into your bones? Or the beginnings of a fever?? Who knows, it may be your annual bout of the flu settling in to annoy you, but in Medieval Dublin you might just have fallen victim to the plague…. A rampant disease that tore through the streets of this city as well as cities all across Europe, the plague, or Black Death as it came to be known, claimed the lives of as many as 14,000 people in Ireland before it eventually disappeared….

So what was the Black Death and where did it come from?

Symptoms of the Black Death included fevers, vomiting, coughing and swellings on the body (mostly around the armpit, neck and legs). These painful swellings would start out an angry red colour and then turn a purplish black. Very quickly you would have been confined to your bed. It was highly contagious – if you caught it, the chances were everyone in your family would catch it too. It took hold of you so quickly that you would likely be dead in a matter of days. Sometimes whole families were locked into their tiny houses to try to keep the disease inside! Once someone had succumbed to the plague, a white ‘X’ was painted on the front door so that everyone who passed knew the sickness had been there.

People were terrified to see the disease spread so quickly and to lose so many friends and family so suddenly. They searched and searched for the cause but could find nothing. Some believed it was a punishment from God and hid themselves indoors in the hope they would avoid it. Others were convinced it was the end of the world and everyone was doomed to fall ill eventually… They had no idea, and no way of knowing, that the disease was carried by rats which scoured the streets of ports and cities for food and shelter. There was no way to control or prevent the spread.

Bodies piled up on the sides of the street. Coffins couldn’t be made quick enough to bury the dead so vast pits were dug for mass burials. It was the job of the carters to gather the dead and carry them through the city to their grave. This Halloween you’ll have the chance to meet one of these carters, Jack, and his healer wife, Aoife, in Dublinia! They’re going to be with us throughout the midterm to regale you with tales of the Black Death from the stricken streets of Dublin. They’ll share with you their secrets and fears, and if you’re lucky they’ll let you in on the ways they’ve managed to avoid catching the Black Death…. So far at least!

(Performances from 28^th October to 3^rd November between 12pm – 1pm and 2pm – 4pm)

Medieval Merriment!

Santa taking a much needed rest by the fire in
Peter Higley's medieval house before Christmas Eve

Christmas is almost only days away and we’re really starting to get excited here in Dublinia! So much so that we couldn’t help but wonder what a medieval Christmas would have looked like… are there traditions that have stood the test of time or is Christmas today completely different to those celebrated by our medieval ancestors? We’ve chosen just a few things you might recognise from your own family Christmases and have done a little digging to see how they compared to a medieval celebration!

Firstly though, have you ever wondered how Christmas all began?? Believe it or not, it dates all the way back to around 300AD, but not quite as far back as the birth of Jesus! The date of Jesus’s birthday was never actually recorded in the gospels. Christians at the time felt His death and resurrection (celebrated at Easter) were of far more importance; so the 25^th of December was a date that was chosen long after he had passed away!  It was during the medieval period that Christmas then became one of the most significant dates in the Christian calendar. Just like today, Advent formed the build up to the 25^th December, but lasted 40 days! Before you get too jealous of an extra-long Christmas though, this was seen as a time of fasting, contemplation and repentance for your sins in preparation for the birth of the saviour…

Now let’s look a little closer at some of our own Christmas celebrations!

Are you one of those people who spend weeks looking forward to your Christmas dinner? All of that turkey and ham? Well, in medieval Dublin you would have been eating something a little different off your plate! Turkeys were native to America and only arrived in Europe after it was discovered in the late 15^th century. Instead you would have been tucking into roast goose and even swan! To make the food on the table even more appealing, birds were sometimes posed on the plate before carving… These poultry dishes would have been accompanied by beef, venison, bread, cheese, ale and wine. The elaborate feasts which marked Christmas would have been a real treat after the long period of fasting during Advent! And those delicious mince pies you could eat a dozen of? In medieval Dublin, just as the name suggests, they were made with actual meat – so not quite as tasty as those you’ll be having next week… and people believed it was lucky to eat one a day for the 12 days of Christmas!!

The idea of a crib came about in the early thirteenth century after St Francis of Assisi set up a nativity scene in a cave in Italy to teach local people about the story of Christmas. Many people at this time across all of Europe (including here in Ireland) would have lived in very close quarters to their animals. The belief that Jesus was born in a similar situation to them would have been of huge significance to an enormous part of medieval society.

And do you love to hear carollers as you walk down the street doing your Christmas shopping? Carollers singing outside also dates right back to the Middle Ages! A carol in medieval times literally meant to sing and dance in a circle. The oldest carols from this time saw a single singer in the middle of a ring of dancers inside the church; but this meant that when carols were sung at holy masses over Christmas, the religious aspect of the occasion was often interrupted. This frustrated the clergy so much that for a short time, carollers were banished to the streets!

There you have it – plenty has changed since Christmas became a major celebration in the medieval period, but, maybe surprisingly, there is lots that has remained the same for centuries! There’s nothing left for us to do now but wish you all a Merry Christmas, and enjoy those mince pies!! If you need a break and some fresh air, we’re closed from Christmas Eve until Stephens’ Day – but back open as usual from the 27^th December!

From the Shovel to the Microscope!

Okay folks, we have something a little bit different lined up for you for the month of November! Science Week is coming to Dublinia and we have an absolutely fascinating line-up of experts from the fields of archaeology and the sciences to explore the use of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) in uncovering our past! To give you a feel for what there is to see and discover we’ve done a little of digging of our own…

First under our microscope is the field of Paleoentomology. Can you guess what this is? It’s the study of insects and bugs to reveal secrets of the past such as geographical environment all the way to living conditions in cities and rural areas! Insects are the largest and most widely distributed group of animals in the world. They can be found on every single land mass on the planet, from mountaintops to riverbanks, from desert plains to the inside of hidden caves and their presence often impacts human life in terms of food, disease and even death. Researching the remains of insects from different parts of a country, as well as different parts of the world, can tell us so much about industrial activity, farming, vegetation, water quality and climate change through the ages. Our expert will show you exactly how all of this information is gleaned!

Next up is the science of Dendrochronology. In a nutshell, this is the study of a tree’s inner rings to determine its age – but dendrochronology can actually tell us so much more about the history of the environment! Trees grow slower in periods of environmental stress – a severe drought, or freezing winter – and grow quicker when the conditions are more favourable; so analysing and comparing the size of annual growth rings allows scientists to date trees and timber, but also to develop an environmental timeline for a particular area. Timber or pieces of wood found in excavation sites can then be compared to trees whose age has already been established to give archaeologists an idea of how old the artefact and site itself is!

Archaeologists use a whole host of scientific techniques in analysing artefacts and excavation sites. To give you an idea of the scope of what science can tell us, we’ll also have an archaeologist on site to show you how he uses science every day in his work. Some examples are the use of Physics in the examination of a site. Magnets and measures of resistivity can help archaeologists get an idea of what is underground before they have even put a shovel to the earth! Carrying out chemical analysis of food residue on pots can identify what the food (as well as the pot!) was made of, and where that food came from. Laser technology can be used in building 3-D models of excavated buildings and sites. Biological sciences can be used to examine soil samples to tell us about the kind of flora and vegetation in various landscapes. The list really is endless, and whatever aspect of science peaks your interest, you’ll discover how it can be used in archaeology here!

We’re also going to have an archaeological planner, an expert in CAD, in with us. CAD stands for Computer Aided Design and is used in all sorts of engineering and design practices. Many of you may be familiar with it already? It’s used by engineers, product designers, architects and many more professions, but in terms of archaeology it’s very useful in allowing us to develop 2D and 3D representations of artefacts as well as building virtual animations of what a site or building may have looked like when it was originally in use – all of which helps us to visualise the past in a very clear and comprehensive way.

Lastly we’re going to have an Osteoarchaeologist on site, who you may have guessed, is an expert in the excavation and study of human bones! This is every bit as fascinating as it sounds. Osteoarchaeologists work with everything from human bone, more fleshy remains such as Ireland’s famous ‘Bog Bodies’, right down to cremated remains as well. When it comes to the recovery of bones, the excavation process is just as important as analysing the bones afterwards. Often, where a skeleton is found, the position the bones are in, and what might be found alongside them can tell as much information about the person and their life as the bones themselves. Once an excavation has happened, it can’t be done again so all of this information has to be very carefully recorded. The bones themselves can then be analysed in the lab to determine information like the age and sex of the person as well as different ailments, injuries and diseases they may have suffered through their lifetime! We have skeletons on display here in Dublinia (on loan to us from the National Museum of Ireland) and in one of these skeletons in particular you can see dark spots on the surface of some of the bones around the joints, which tells us they would have suffered from arthritis when they were alive – that’s before you have even put it under a microscope or run any kind of scientific tests!

All of this is on show in Dublinia for Science Week on 12^th – 13^th November, and 19^th – 20^th November between 11am and 4pm. It really is a unique opportunity to engage with STEM and Archaeology in a hands on way!

Mind Boggling Medicine!

The days are shorter, the dark nights are longer and Halloween is now just around the corner! A definite chill has crept through the halls of Dublinia as we prepare for All Hallows Eve and the arrival of Thomas, our bloody barber surgeon, and Biddy Deasy, who specialises in ‘alternative’ healing…  Together they are going to look at lots of Creepy Cures and Ridiculous Remedies that are sure to baffle you and send shivers down your spine!

We thought we’d take this chance to have a look at medieval medicine and see how it differs from the lotions and potions we use today!

To fully understand the kinds of sickness that flooded Dublin’s streets and the medicines used to cure them, we must remember that Dublin itself was a very different city 500 years ago. The streets were narrow and overcrowded. Living conditions were filthy. Boiling water was difficult so people washed themselves and their clothes in cold water. People were often sick and this would pass from person to person as well as house to house very quickly. But it’s how people got better that interests us here…

In Medieval times it was more often than not nuns and monks who treated you when you were sick in their monasteries or infirmaries. They used plants and herbs that were believed to have properties that could cure all sorts of things from mild sickness to dangerous diseases!

Do you have yellow dandelions growing in your garden? If so, you’re in luck! In Medieval Dublin people believed that because of its yellow colour dandelions could be used to treat jaundice, but also clear your   cold, help with dental problems and cure itchy boils and rashes! And those buttercups you love to pick and hold under your chin? If you picked a whole bunch of them and tucked them into a bag worn around your neck, it could have cured insanity. Pheuw!

Or how about garlic; do you love tucking into a slice of garlic bread with your dinner? In that case you’ll be happy to know that medieval doctors believed eating garlic helped soothe sore throats, treated infections in wounds, prevented flatulence (we kid you not!) and could even cure leprosy and cancer! Garlic was also believed to cure ear aches – simply insert a clove of garlic into your ear and let it work its magic… All this while being ridiculously tasty as a seasoning, although eating it raw or rubbing it on to your skin would have left a lingering smell which might not have been too pleasant!!

Even stranger still, eating prickly nettles with the white of an egg was believed to cure insomnia, while St John’s Wort was used as a cure for fever. The flower was most effective if it was found by accident when picked, and even more beneficial if it was picked on Midsummer’s Eve… If all of these plants and herbs failed to cure you, it was also handy if you had a dead body nearby as touching a dead man’s tooth would help with your tooth ache and goodness knows what else!

Monks and nuns often had other tools at their disposal to help cure you of your ailments. Different monasteries and convents had religious relics housed in their churches. These were parts of the remains of saints or martyrs, some of their hair, a finger or toe, or items associated with the person such as part of Jesus’ crown of thorns. They were all believed to have powerful healing powers as divine objects.

Going to the doctor in Medieval Dublin was definitely not like popping along to your local surgery today for a prescription, but it’s interesting to see how important plants and herbs were in medicine then – and how many people today use those same plants and herbs (although in tablet form!) to cure similar illnesses today! Pop into Dublinia from 29^th October to 4^th November to hear all about these Creepy Cures and Ridiculous Remedies, as well as loads more!

Creepy Cures and Ridiculous Remedies runs daily from 29^th October to 4^th November from 12pm – 1pm and between 2pm – 4pm. Performances are roughly 15 minutes long.

Medieval Fun and Games!

The summer holidays are just around the corner and we’re sure many of you are planning long, lazy (hopefully sunny) days once you’re free from school and the office… So we thought we would take a look at medieval games and see how children in medieval Dublin might have spent the summer!

You’ll be amazed to learn how many games from medieval times are still played today. For a short, nostalgic moment, think back to childhood summers! Games like hide and seek, tag, hopscotch and marbles were all played by medieval children centuries ago. Little, if anything, about the rules has changed!

Image is a copy of an illustration from Kate Greenaway's 1881 book, Mother Goose

Ring around the Rosie was first played in medieval Ireland and England during the great plague in 1665, and possibly even as early as the 1300’s during the Black Death! Have you ever thought about the words?

‘Ring a ring o’ rosies’ – a description of the marks made on the skin by the disease, a ring around a red mark

‘A pocket full of posies’ – people at the time believed the plague was passed from person to person by bad smells. Carrying pockets and small pouches filled with herbs and flowers masked the smell of sickness, and they believed it would also protect them from catching the plague itself!

‘A-tishoo, a-tishoo, we all fall down!’ – sneezing was another symptom of the plague… and falling down refers to the vast number of people who died from the disease…

Not every game stemmed from such sad origins though, and here’s one you might not have heard of before! One of the most popular games at the time was Quoits.

Quoits was a kind of ring toss game in which 8 rope rings were thrown at a wooden pin on a base, placed on the ground. Two pins could be placed opposite each other and the game played by two teams, throwing your rings at either pin. Coloured ribbons were usually attached to the rings so that you knew which ring was whose. Any ring which landed around the pin received three points. Rings touching the pin or base received two points. If no rings made it to the pin or base, the closest ring to the base received one point.

Dublinia's own medieval monk demonstrating a one-person game of Quoits

One more game we wanted to look at was the game of Chess. You’ll be surprised just how much you can tell about Dublin’s medieval society from this board game!

Played on a board marked with black and white squares, Chess is a game of skill and tactics. Each player must play to knock their opponent’s pieces off the board. Have you ever wondered why the pieces on a chess board are made up of pawns, bishops, knights, Kings and Queens? Read on to find out!

You can learn a lot about medieval society from the pieces on a Chess board!

Pawns represent medieval serfs, the peasants who worked the land owned by lords. They are the most numerous pieces on the board, and represent the largest part of the medieval population in Ireland. They are placed in front of the larger pieces to protect them, just as serfs would have paid tithes to and fought in the armies of the lords and kings who ruled them.

Bishops are used on the board as the church held an extremely important role in medieval society throughout Ireland and Europe. Their inclusion on the chess board shows that the piece they represent is important and powerful.

The knight can move differently on the board to any other piece, moving further than, and jumping over, other pieces. Some say this represents the horse that a knight would have ridden, galloping across the board, as well as a knight’s skill and agility on a battle field!

There were some very powerful queens across Europe in the medieval period such as Eleanor of Aquitaine and Blanche of Castile, and some historians believe that figures such as these, as well as the adoration of the Virgin Mary, led to the prominence and power given to the Queen on a chess board. Chess was also a game which could be played by both men and women so it was only right that both would be represented on the board.

Lastly the King, the tallest piece on a chess board, stands proud, but he still needs to be defended by his queen, his knights, his church, and his people for his reign to be successful… once the king is taken, the game is over!

There you have it, medieval life summed up on one board and in 16 pieces!

Slaves in Ireland??

It may come as a shock to learn that Viking Dublin had one of the largest slave markets in Europe along its docks and quays! It may shock you even more to learn that the trading of slaves existed in Ireland long before the time of the Vikings!! 

Saint Patrick, who came to Ireland in the 5th century, was kidnapped from his home in Wales and brought here as a slave. He spent his days and nights for 6 years looking after animals before escaping back to his family. There are also lots of accounts of the slave market between Britain and Ireland at the time of the fall of the Roman Empire in Britain at the end of the 4th century. The majority of the accounts, however, tell us that a trade in slaves existed, but don’t necessarily tell us how the trade and market functioned.

What we do know is that there were primarily three ways people were brought into slavery. Some were captured in Viking raids, or in the battles of king against king, and taken as prisoners of war. Some were given to slave owners and traders to pay off debts! Slaves were a valuable commodity in the Viking age and could fetch the trader a pretty penny. Others voluntarily gave themselves, and even their children, into slavery in a desperate exchange for food during times of famine.

People were a valuable export for Ireland during the Viking age. Vikings took Irishmen and Irishwomen as slaves to establish control after a raid as quickly as possible. These slaves could then be used by the Vikings themselves, sent back to Scandinavia, or used as a bartering tool for expensive goods from eastern markets. Excavations in Dublin have uncovered large slave chains which would have been tied around the neck of those captured to prevent them escaping. Dublin’s port was an ideal location for a market importing and exporting people throughout Europe.

Life as a Viking slave was exactly as you might imagine. Many captured slaves would have been sent abroad, but the majority would have lived alongside their owners forced to spend long days carrying out the dirtier and tougher aspects of house and farm work. Although bleak, this prospect was a better option than the fate of some slaves… Bodies have been found in tombs that have died as a result of decapitation and severe blows to the head, which suggest that slaves were sometimes offered as gifts to Viking gods. Whether or not you worked for a relatively kind owner who may eventually set you free or give you some land, or were treated as poorly as animals was entirely a matter of luck!

The slave trade in Dublin came to an end more through external pressures than anything else. A law passed in England in 1102 in which human trafficking was banned, was a severe blow to the trade. It meant that Ireland could not buy slaves from or sell them to England. This greatly reduced the market open to the port in Dublin. As societies developed throughout Europe, other countries came to condemn the use of slaves. The slave market came to be seen as a justification to war with Ireland and invade, particularly for Anglo-Norman armies looking to settle here. The Council of Armagh in 1171 declared that all English slaves in Ireland were to be freed. Believe it or not, Ireland and Scotland were the last of the slave markets in Christian Europe to cease trading!