An Ireland Experience

May 21, 2012



From March 7^th – 15^th, a group of 16 Penn State students and faculty members went to Ireland for a class trip. This trip was a chance of a lifetime and a great learning experience and our coach driver, Murt O’Shea was full of knowledge about the history of Ireland. Our trip began in Dublin then continued into Ennis, which was followed by Kilarney and Kilkenny and ended in Malahide (which is right outside Dublin) for our last night. Throughout the course of this trip, we saw many historical sites as well as landmarks that were breathtaking.  From the group dinners to pubs to a medieval meal, we always had interesting food and boy do the Irish love their potatoes! Potatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner; I don’t know how they can eat so many servings of potatoes a day.

The first two days of the trip, we were in Dublin where we stayed at the Burlington Hotel. On the first day we walked around the city as a group, exploring St. Stephen’s Green, Trinity College and The Book of Kells, Dublin Castle/Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, and the last stop was to the Post Office. After our last stop as a group, Sarah, Anna, Katie and I walked around Dublin and did some shopping on Grafton Street, a very popular place for tourists to shop. That evening the entire group went to the Brazen Head Pub for a night of food, folklore and fairies. Johnny, a friend of Murt, told many stories about fairies and told us it was our decision if we believe in them or not. The next morning we went to the Guinness Storehouse, where I tried Guinness beer and quickly found out that I am not a huge fan of that particular beer. An interesting fact about the company is that in 1759 when Guinness was established by Arthur Guinness, a 9,000 year lease which stated they would pay 45 pounds a year.  After Guinness, we traveled outside of Dublin to explore the Hill of Tara (a place where the high kings of Ireland used to be), and Knowth (which is a heritage site that dates back roughly 6,000 years and is a place of one large mound with several satellite mounds).

The third day in Ireland, our first stop of the day was to the National Botanical Gardens which was established in 1795. There are over 17,000 species and cultivated varieties from all over the world and is a very pretty place to walk through. The second stop was to the Kilbeggan Distillery Experience where we got to try some Irish whiskey, which I wasn’t a fan of. Throughout this course, I have been posting information about peat and peat bogs in Ireland, as well as around the world. Unfortunately, the only time we went past peat bogs in Ireland was when we were on the bus and it was hard to get any clear pictures. The National Museum in Ireland had artifacts and bodies on display, but we did not have enough time to visit this museum. An interesting fact about peat though is that at the Kilbeggan Distillery (Locke’s Distillery) used peat to heat their facilities. We continued to travel to the Old Grounds Hotel in Ennis, where we would stay for two nights. For dinner that evening, we went to Bunratty Castle for a medieval dinner, where there would be no utensils. For dinner we enjoyed vegetable soup, Bar-B-Q ribs, chicken with vegetables (squash, broccoli, carrots and potatoes), and a strawberry dessert. The meal was absolutely delicious!

 

The fourth day was a very interesting day because Murt talked to us about the Potato Famine during the 1840’s that took that lives of so many people and caused a huge portion of the population to emigrate. The stories he told about families being evicted from their homes and found dead in a hedge row somewhere or parents putting their children on cargo ships hoping they would be lucky enough to survive the trip to America and start a new life in the land of opportunities. When Murt was discussing landlords evicting tenants, he also talked about how Workhouses were created, which were practically concentration camps. Families would go into these workhouses, where no work would actually be done, and they would never see their loved ones again. We stopped at the Workhouse Monument and it was difficult to experience because of how many lives were lost during this time frame. On a happier note, the next stop was to the Cliffs of Moher, which was one of my favorite tour sites of this trip. Some of the cliffs are 700 feet high and are breathtaking. Murt said when he was younger, he would sit on the edge of the cliffs to get a thrill, I could never do that because I am deathly afraid of heights! We traveled to The Burren, which is a national landmark made of limestone rocks. It was a very pretty view and the flowers that grew between the rocks were gorgeous. The last stop of the day was back at the Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. We got to explore the castle and got the chance to climb to the very top, which was a pretty view!

 

The fifth day we traveled to one of my favorite places on this trip, Dingle Peninsula.  Words can even explain how beautiful this journey was, clear blue skies, the water splashing onto the cliff walls and the many different shades of green that covered the landscape. I also got to sit on a donkey while we were in Dingle, which was very exciting. That afternoon we got to the hotel in Killarney and had plenty of time to shop and explore the city.

On the morning of the sixth day, we went on a horse carriage ride to the Muckross House which was located in Killarney National Park.  This house was built in 1843, and millions of dollars were put into the house and landscape for when Queen Victoria came to visit in August of 1861. It was a gorgeous house and the gardens around the estate where very pretty, especially the rhododendrons and azalea bushes. The Rock of Cashel was our next stop, which was once a seat of the over kings of Munster and dates back to the 4^th century A.D. That afternoon we arrived in Kilkenny and went out to Lanigan’s, a local restaurant/pub for a delicious dinner and to listen to some good music.

The last and final day of the trip was spent at the National Stud and Japanese Gardens, Powerscout Gardens and Glendalough.  All three places were full of information and interesting facts about Ireland and its culture. The National Stud houses Invincible Spirit, which is one of Europe’s top 5 race horses. Powerscout Gardens had many different gardens within the site itself and contains several rhododendrons bushes in shades of pink, red and purple. Glendalough, the valley of two lakes, is renowned for its early medieval monastic settlement that was founded in the 6^th century by St. Kevin. After Glendalough, we headed back to our hotel where a group of us went to take a walk on the beach before dinner. Our last dinner as a group was delicious but was sad since we were leaving Ireland in the morning. This trip was a chance of a lifetime and I feel so blessed that I got the opportunity to go. I make some great friends and learned a lot of interesting facts about Ireland and its culture!

Peat Bog Discoveries!

April 26, 2012

Bodies weren’t the only things that peat bogs have preserved! Several trepanated skulls, which are skulls that have holes drilled in them have been found in bogs. Trepanning can be referred to as trephining or trephination is a surgical inventions in which a hole in scraped or drilled into the human skull which exposes the dura mater. This process is done to treat health problems that were related to intracranial diseases but it is believed in the medieval times that this “operation” was performed to remove a blood clot or a less-tangible thing, such as a spirit from a human being.

Picture from: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/08/bogosphere/

The image below shows a wheel that was discovered in the Netherland along with another one identical to it. It is roughly 2.5 feet in diameter and carved from a single piece of oak. This wheel has been dated back to 2700 B.C, making it one of the oldest wheels ever found in Europe.

Picture from: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/08/bogosphere/

In 2006, a man who was operating a backhoe in an Irish peat bog came across a Book of Psalms (a Psalter). The book had been buried for more than a thousand years, but the writing in it was still legible. Located nearby was a leather carrying pouch and it was assumed it contained the book at one time. Over the years, other satchels and wooden vessels have been found in bogs.

Picture from: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/22104

Other artifacts such as swords and weapons have been found, along with a 9 foot-long dugout canoe! You never know what you might find when exploring peat bogs!

Bibliography

Madrigal, A. (2009, August 21). Bogosphere: The Strangest Things Pulled Out of Peat Bogs. Retrieved April 26, 2012, from Wired Science: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/08/bogosphere/

Riggs, R. (2009, January 27). Weird Stuff Found in Bogs. Retrieved April 26, 2012, from Mental Floss: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/22104



Bog Bodies in Ireland!

April 20, 2012



In January of 2006, after being discovered in central Ireland, two bog bodies were unveiled in Dublin. Researchers said these two bodies were over 2,000 years old and possibly used for ritual sacrifices because they were both in their early 20’s and were tortured and killed. These two bodies are not only unique for being well-preserved, but one appeared to have hair gel while the other wore manicured nails!

Picture from: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/01/0117_060117_irish_bogmen.html

The bodies were originally discovered in 2003 accidently by commercial peat workers. These bodies were not found together but 25 miles apart! Researchers decided to name these two new Irish bog bodies after the places where they were found: Clonycavan and Croghan Hill. Once again, the police thought these were recent murder victims and conducted an investigation, but soon archaeologists concluded they were ancient bodies. A team of scientists said that Croghan’s fingerpring whorls were as clear as any living person’s.  "He (Croghan man) had very well manicured nails, and his fingertips and hands were indicative of somebody who didn't carry out any manual labor. So we presume he came from the upper echelons of society," said Isabella Mulhall, (the National Museum of Ireland’s Bog Bodies Project coordinator). Both bodies have been on display at the National Museum of Ireland since May of 2006!

Old Croghan Man - Picture from: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/01/0117_060117_bog_photo.html

Bibliography: 

Owen, J. (2006, January 17). Murdered "Bog Men" Found With Hair Gel, Manicured Nails. Retrieved April 20, 2012, from National Geographic News: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/01/0117_060117_irish_bogmen.html

Bog Bodies!

April 12, 2012

Bog bodies can be defined as human burials, which some were likely sacrificed and placed in peat bogs and naturally mummified. Since peat is highly acidic, it acts as an extraordinary preservative which leaves the clothing and skin intact and creates an emotional and memorable image of people from the past. When a body is submerged into a bog, the cold water will insect activity and hinders putrefaction. Bog bodies have been discovered in not only Ireland, but also in Britain, Germany, Holland and Denmark.  The total number of bodies discovered in European bogs is unknown because it is estimated between 200 to 700 bodies have been pulled from bogs. 

 

Picture from: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/tolland-man.html

Bod Body Story: The Tollund Man

            On May 8^th, 1950 near the village of Tollund in Denmark, two brothers and their families were cutting peat when they discovered a man in the bog and thought it was a modern murder victim because the body was so well preserved. These brothers quickly notified the Silkeborg police which were aware of an ancient body that was discovered 2 days earlier in a bog close to Bjaeldskovdal, which is only 10 kilometres west of Silkeborg. The police took the body to the Silkeborg Museum  for a very detailed examination. A number of radiologistics, paleobotanists, forensic scientists, archeologists and dentists studied the body and later learned that the man people thought was a recent murder victim was actually 2,400 years old! The Tollund Man is on display at the National Museum of Denmark.

 Picture from: http://www.tollundman.dk/udseende.asp

Work Cited:  

Lewis, S. K. (2006, February 7). The Tollund Man. Retrieved April 11, 2012, from Nova: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/tolland-man.html

Silkeborg Museum. (2004). A Face of Prehistoric Denmark. Retrieved April 11, 2012, from The Tollund Man: http://www.tollundman.dk/liget.asp

"Bog Butter"

April 5th, 2012 

 “Bog Butter” is a term that is used when referring to an ancient waxy substance that was discovered buried in peat bogs, mostly in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Some of the butter was found in oak barrels while others were preserved in wooden containers such as kegs, buckets, butter churns and dishes. Samples of the butter that was discovered were tested and this bog butter was made from dairy products while other sample results showed that it was meat-based.

Picture: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32630695/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/-year-old-butter-discovered-ireland/

Stories about Bog Butter Discoveries:

A few thousand years ago, someone living in Ireland made butter and placed it in an oak barrel. It is believed that they were roughly 25 miles west of Dublin when they buried it, but over the course of time they lost track of their butter. While exploring in the Gilltown bog, two archaeologists discovered the missing butter between the Irish towns of Staplestown and Timahoe. Then another discovery happened in 2009, when two Irish workers, John Fitzharris and Martin Lane, discovered an oak barrel dating back roughly 3,000 years was found and the butter inside was exceptionally well-preserved. This oak barrel was three-foot-long and weighed 77 pounds and was also found in the Gilltown bog. Even though this was a very exciting discovery for these archaeologists/workers, these weren’t the first barrels of butter that has been preserved by the bog. Over 270 kegs of bog butter have been reclaimed from the wetlands.

Picture: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Bog-butter-from-3000-BC--found-in-ancient-underground-store-120950094.html

*Next week we are going to continue on looking at exciting discoveries found in peat-lands….what will be next?!

Work Cited:

Hayes, C. (2011, April 29). ‘Bog butter’ from 3,000 BC found in ancient underground store. Retrieved April 4, 2012, from Irish Central: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Bog-butter-from-3000-BC--found-in-ancient-underground-store-120950094.html

Lorenzi, R. (2009, August 31). 3,000-year-old butter discovered in Ireland. Retrieved April 4, 2012, from Science on MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32630695/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/-year-old-butter-discovered-ireland/

Madrigal, A. (2009, August 21). Bogosphere: The Strangest Things Pulled Out of Peat Bogs. Retrieved April 4, 2012, from Wired Science: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/08/bogosphere

What is Archeology?

March 31, 2012



Archeology is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and the environmental data that is left behind that can include biofacts, cultural landscapes, artifacts and architecture. Archeology is very important when learning about prehistoric societies because there were no written records to study.

Picture: http://www.pcl-eu.de/virt_ex/detail.php?entry=09hoard

When peat-lands and bogs first started to grow, they expanded over the landscape and people were already living around them. These areas have preserved many riches such as recording the history of vegetation change since the Ice Age. Bogs have recorded earliest Irish history and prehistoric times. Things that have been discovered in peat-land and bogs consist of human bodies, weapons/ornaments of metal, tools, articles of clothing and block of butter.

Picture: http://cogitz.com/2009/09/04/bog-bodies-preserved-corpses/

*This blog was just an introduction to Archeology and a brief description of what peat-lands has done to preserve history*

Information: Wurm, K. M. (n.d.). Archived in Peat. Retrieved March 30, 2012, from Pathways to Cultural Landscape: http://www.pcl-eu.de/virt_ex/detail.php?entry=09hoard

Peat-Land Animals

March 23, 2012



Animals that can be found in peat-lands are classified in three different compartments which include the aquatic components of the open water pools, the terrestrial fauna that range between the peat-land and the terrestrial fauna that are found within the peat-land itself. Many animals or birds will travel to these areas because peat-land supplies a source of food and water. Today, we are going to discuss arthropods, flatworms, amphibians/reptiles, birds and mammals.

Picture from: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/08/bogosphere/

Arthropods: consist of centipedes, millipedes, spiders, insects and crustaceans. This category can be broken down into several different ecological groups such as aquatic arthropods living in temporary waters, or permanent fen or bog pools.

Flatworms: the typical flatworms that can be found in peat-lands are the Catenulida group. There are roughly 20 different species of flatworms that can be located in peat-lands and several hundred can be removed from a handful of moss.

Picture from: http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/flatworm.htm

Amphibians/Reptiles: peat-lands are important for frogs, salamanders and toads because they need wet habitats. Reptiles that can be found in frequent bogs, swamps or fens are the painted turtle, spotted turtle, the common garter snake, eastern ribbon snake and both the small lizard and the adder.

Birds: a wide diversity of birds can be found in peat-lands which include the common crane, sandhill crane, woodpeckers, the Eurasian black grouse, rustic bunting, spruce grouse, European hazel grouse, the Eurasian woodcock, just to name a few!

The Eurasian Black Grouse (picture from: http://ibc.lynxeds.com/files/pictures/Tetras_lyre_2007.4018.DVD_31..jpg)

Mammals: swamps and fens are very important because they are feeding grounds for larger animals and small rodents. Some mammals that can be found in peat-lands are white-tailed deer, muskrat andbeavers.

Work Cited:  

Rydin, H., & Jeglum, J. (2006). The Biology of Peatlands. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Diversity of Life in Peatlands

March 15, 2012

             Peat-lands host a wide range of various species and life forms. Plants are the most obvious form of life because they provide the structural groundwork, which are the source of organic compounds resulting from photosynthesis for the nourishment of microorganisms and animals. The peat type and quality of organic matter are unquestionably the most important features influencing rates of diversity, biomass growth and decomposition.  Today we are going to look at the diversity of life in peat-lands which includes fungi and microorganisms, protozoans, algae, lichen, plants.

Fungi & Microorganisms: heterotrophic microorganisms are microbes that obtain energy from degradation of organic material and involves mostly of fungi and bacteria.

Protozoan: ciliates and rhizopods are both important peat-lands groups. Rhizopods (testate amoebae) are the most common and have well-defined ecological preferences such as mineral concentrations and water table depths.

                              Picture: http://biomessecond08.wikispaces.com/Coral+Reef+Facts

Algae: peat-lands are rich in microalgae and their diversity seems to be related to the rich-poor incline in much the same way as vascular plants.

Lichen: some have an outstanding ability to endure desiccation and are usually found on tree trunks, rocks and other exposed habitats.

Plants: in peat-land ecology, bryophytes that can be found in these areas are peat mosses, brown mosses, liverworts and feather mosses. When discussing graminoids which include grasses and other groups that have a grass-like morphology that consists of cotton grasses and sedges. Herbs can be found in peat-lands occasionally. A common bog shrub that can be found in peat-lands is the northern dwarf birch species. Many tree species overlap when upland locations connect with peat-lands, adding diversity to these areas.

*Next Blog will pertain to animals found in peat-lands!

* Bibliography: Rydin, H., & Jeglum, J. (2006). The Biology of Peatlands. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Heritage and Culture

March 11, 2012

In Ireland, peat-lands are a characteristic part of the landscape and over the years peat has been used for a number of things. Mammals, birds and wild berries that can be found in peat-lands have provided a source of food 6,000 years ago for the Stone Age people. When these people arrived in Ireland, they brought livestock that used peat-lands for grazing and this method is still used today on upland bogs.

                Peat being used as a source of fuel can be dated back to the 7^th century, but there has been evidence suggesting it was used soon than that. During the 18^th and 19^th centuries, peat was used for a number of things such as the manufacture of postcards and wrapping papers from peat fiber. The lower layers of peat-lands were usually used for fuel while the upper layers were used to produce peat moss. When peat was found to be a valuable source of fuel for heating and cooking, many people would cut turf from bogs. This was a labor-intensive job which forced people to come in direct contact with nature.

                Song, sculpture, prose and poetry have been used by people in Ireland to express their particular relationship with bogs and the animals and plants they contain. People who inspect bog on a close encounter will notice the wealth of colors, treasures, smells and sounds.

*Information used from NIES (Northern Ireland Environmental Agency)

*http://www.doeni.gov.uk/niea/biodiversity/habitats-2/peatlands/heritage_and_culture.htm

Introduction to Peat Farming

February 23rd, 2012

The purpose of this blog is to explore the world of peat farming, mostly in Ireland but I will discuss the other benefits of peat. I grew up in Central Pennsylvania on a dairy farm and I have never even heard of peat or peat farming until I enrolled in a horticulture class at Penn State this semester.  I find this topic very interesting and throughout this semester I will discuss the history, the uses and techniques of peat. 

Peat farming is used in aquaculture which can be defined as the farming of aquatic plants and creatures such as fish and crabs. Peat is a development of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol.When an analysis is done of the soil, the types of plants that grew, died and accumulated to form a piece of peat can be discovered. Dead plants that are found in peat-lands are different from other ecosystems because they do not fully decompose.

  

There are places that are called peat-lands, that are an area where peat is found and it consists of a layer of peat at the surface which has accumulated naturally over thousands of years. In Ireland, peat is also referred to as turf and can be found in moors, pocosins, wetland blogs, muskegs, peat swamp forests and mires. In Ireland, there are different types of peat-lands that have developed due to varying conditions of soil type, plant species and climate.

In Ireland, peat is harvested as an important source of fuel and this technique can be found around the world. Peat has been used as a form of energy for over 2,000 years. In boreal and temperate regions of Europe, in particular Ireland, Germany, England, Poland, Finland, Sweden and Russia, peat is used as an alternative to firewood for heating and cooking. During the 20th century with the increasing use of oil and gas for heating and cooking resulted in diminishing use of peat for such purposes.

 Peat has helped shape the history in some portions of the world because of its benefits in archeology. Peat has several benefits with include water absorption, root growth, it can reduce leaching, improve compost and increase soil health. I truly do not know that much about peat and peat farming but I find the subject very interesting. Over this course, I would like to learn about the benefits of peat, how it is used not only in Ireland but around the world, and how important it is to archeologist.

*Picture: http://news.discovery.com/earth/peat-bogs-worth-carbon-credit-gold-110801.html