THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF SMALL THINGS. 

Proceedings of the 7th National Monuments Service annual archaeology conference. 

Can you smell the past? Can you hear again the music of prehistoric people?

Monuments and well-preserved artefacts come to mind when we think of archaeology, but archaeologists can glean a lot from small things too.

The seventh National Monuments Service annual archaeology conference, Traces: The Archaeology of Small Things, explored how items like minuscule pollen grains can reveal what the prehistoric landscape looked like, deformed bullets carry the memory of trauma, war and death, or one grain of gold on a tiny panel of ornament express a deep religious conviction.

The conference presented surprising research into the past through the senses of sound, sight, taste and smell and took a close look at the exciting details of medieval metalwork and manuscripts that proclaim the extraordinary skill of their makers.

Contributors:

Dr Susan Curran, Anna Hoffmann, Dr Joshua Kumbani, Prof. Pádraig Ó Macháin, Prof. Gill Plunkett, Dr Damian Shiels, Dr Caro Verbeek, Brigitte Webster and Dr Niamh Whitfield.

Peigin Doyle is an author, journalist and PR consultant based in Sligo. Her specialist areas are history, heritage and archaeology. She has previously published in these areas for the Office of Public Works (OPW) and for Wordwell Books.