DATES ARE IMPORTANT. Barry Raftery, former professor of Celtic archaeology in the UCD school of archaeology, the fifth man to hold the post since it was established in 1909, and one of Europe's most innovative archaeologists, began his seminal work, Pagan Celtic Ireland(1994) with characteristic flourish.
“July the 18th in the year 387 BC was not a good day for Rome. On the left bank of the Tiber on that date Roman forces were disastrously defeated at the battle of Allia by hordes of fearsome barbarian invaders pouring southwards across the Alps from central Europe. The marauders advanced rapidly on Rome and found, to their astonishment, the gates open and unguarded . . . There followed widespread massacre and pillage and most of Rome was reduced to a smouldering ruin. After a lengthy siege of the Capitol the invaders were finally bought off and Rome, though humiliated, survived to rise again.” The barbarians were none other than the Celts.
An internationally acknowledged authority on the archaeology of later prehistoric societies, Raftery is duly celebrated in a magnificent Festschrift, Relics of Old Decency: Archaeological Studies in Later Prehistory, published by the ever-excellent Wordwell. Irish archaeologists and colleagues from throughout the world have come together in this wonderful book to honour Raftery who has dedicated his life's work to placing Irish archaeology within a European context.
The son of an Irish father and a German mother, he has a broad cultural overview. There are two photographs on page two dating from a day “probably in the year 1954” showing the young Raftery at work on his father’s excavation site at Lough Gara. His father, Joseph Raftery (1913-1992), who had written his thesis on the Early Iron Age, would later, in 1976, be appointed director of the National Museum. Barry Raftery discovered early in life that the most effective way of understanding the present was by investigating the past.
And, so he has done; opening the door to Ireland's earliest chapters, inspiring colleagues and students along the way. Pagan Celtic Irelanddoes recognise and explore the enigma of the Irish Iron Age. It traces the emergence of Celtic culture in its social, political and religious contexts. Raftery's contribution to scholarship has been remarkable, as has been his methodology, he has brought humour and panache. If archaeology is about humanity, few scholars have displayed as much humane insight.
The essays in the Festschrift are themed under various headings, such as wetlands, with pieces on crannógs and a fascinating account of plants and animals from a wetland site in Japan. A large section on specific artefacts has Jim Mallory on Iron Age ceramics; George Eogan writes about small metal tools dating from the Bronze Age and Mary Cahill explores the functional uses of gold wire in Bronze Age Ireland. Natalie Venclová writes about glass-working in Iron Age Moravia. In the third section, Contacts and Connections, John Collis asks with a nod to Hamlet, "To be, or not to be, a Celt. Does it really matter?" Irish archaeologist John Waddell joins a strong European team in the section on La Tène Art. Conor Newman, who has worked so tirelessly on Tara, contributes a paper on ceremonies of the later Iron Age and early medieval period.
Raftery’s pioneering work on hillforts (including the important Rathgall site in Co Wicklow, where the horse bit featured on the cover was discovered), is honoured in an impressive section on hillforts and enclosures in which Eamonn P Kelly debates whether the fort at Knoxspark, Co Sligo is an Iron-Age fortress or a Viking stronghold.
These are specialist essays, written by experts, yet true to the quality of the finest archaeological writing in Ireland, they are accessible. The international contributions are fascinating, the team of editors: Gabriel Cooney, Katharina Becker, John Coles, Michael Ryan and Susanne Sievers ensure this volume is true to Raftery’s enthusiasm for teaching.
A previously unpublished excavation report on Cairn H at Loughcrew dating from 1943 and written by Raftery’s late father, also features. Muiris O’Sullivan, in writing about the legendary RAS Macalister (1870-1950), traces the evolution of Irish archaeology. In 1854, Eugene O’Curry (1794-1862) had been appointed Professor of Irish history and archaeology at Newman’s Catholic University, later incorporated into the NUI as UCD. O’Curry was primarily an Irish language and literature specialist who had earlier, during the 1830s, worked with John O’Donovan (1809-1861) under fellow antiquarian George Petrie (1790-1866). Archaeology as a professional academic study developed from the bedrock laid down by gentlemen antiquarians such as Petrie – famed for his enthusiastic if disorganised approach – and the surgeon, William Wilde (1815-1876), father of Oscar. When O’Curry died in 1862, the chair remained vacant and was not advertised until after UCD became part of the NUI in 1908.
Macalister was appointed in 1909 at the age of 40 and had by then established a reputation for wide-ranging scholarship but was often criticised for his maverick approach to excavation. At that time Ireland’s pre-eminent archaeologist was George Coffey (1857-1916) who had concentrated on placing Irish prehistory in a European framework (as would Barry Raftery). When Coffey died in 1916, Macalister became the unofficial voice of Irish archaeology and would remain so until the National Museum reasserted itself in the 1930s and under Adolf Mahr a new generation of Irish archaeologists began to emerge including Seán P Ó Ríordáin who would eventually succeed Macalister at UCD. Another new talent was Raftery’s father, Joseph, a future Keeper of Antiquities and eventual Museum Director.
When Macalister finally retired in 1943, seven years before his death, his place was filled by Ó Ríordáin, who excavated extensively at Lough Gur and Tara, but died early at the age of 52. He was succeeded by Ruaidhrí de Valera (son of Éamon de Valera), who had worked with the Ordnance Survey and believed in field work. In common with Ó Ríordáin, Ruaidhrí de Valera also died young – but suddenly, while attending a conference. George Eogan was appointed in 1979 and held the post until 1997 when Barry Raftery became only the fifth professor of Celtic archaeology at UCD. Ireland’s archaeological heritage has all too often suffered the ravages of ill-planned development. At a time when we need heroes, we should look to our scholars, practical idealists such as Barry Raftery who have endeavoured to secure our culture by explaining our past.
Relics of Old Decency – Archaeological Studies in Later Prehistoryis published by Wordwell, €50