As part of the Archaeological dig, CELM organised two talks in the Museum Room of the Heritage on Friday 10 September 2021 at 7.30pm. These were open to all and, with careful seating and the use of face coverings, it was possible to accommodate up to 30 people.
Carolyn McNamara had just completed her PhD at the University of Glasgow, exploring the relationships amongst the Early Church leaders Comgall, Moluag, Maelruba and Columba, both in Ireland and the West Highlands and Islands of Scotland. She offered important new insights about the importance of Moluag, and his sphere of evangelism, moving the focus westwards from Rosemarkie and Mortlach. To make progress in understanding the Early Church we need work of this kind, which combines knowledge of medieval Gaelic, archaeological and art historical evidence, and navigation of the complexities of the Irish annals.
Angela Boyle’s career in archaeology spans three decades, across the UK and Europe. She is a leading osteoarchaeologist working in Scotland, but has much wider experience, such as the excavation of a complete Iron Age chariot in West Yorkshire. In recent years she has had a special interest in studying skeletal remains to understand the extent and nature of violence in early medieval Scotland, and this is what she will be featuring in her talk.
In describing this work, Angela writes:
“During the period, south-east Scotland experienced several dramatic events including the end of Roman rule, the Anglian invasion and the commencement of Viking attacks. Osteological analysis of more than 300 skeletons, many of which were excavated in the 19th and first half of the 20th century has demonstrated a general absence of evidence for violence except in notable concentrations in and around the Firth of Forth. What does this tell us about the relationships between Angles, Britons and Picts and the nature of conflict in the area?”
Dr Angela Boyle
We were very fortunate to have them with us for the Dig. The evening was informal with plenty of time for questions and general discussion. We hope to be able to invite each of them back to Lismore to contribute to a revived programme of Saturday night talks.