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 12th
– 13th November, and 19th – 20th November
between 11am and 4pm. It really is a unique opportunity to engage with STEM and
Archaeology in a hands on way!
