A look back at the excavation works at Wood Quay and what the archaeologists discovered on the site.
This programme follows archaeologists in their work of uncovering the past and shows the method of excavation used at Wood Quay.
The programme looks at: the legacy of the site at Wood Quay; the popular protests of 1978; the excavations carried out there by the National Museum of Ireland. The excavation process is described in detail and examples of interesting finds unveiled.
The excavations were led by Limerick man, Dr. Patrick Wallace, and at times involved over a hundred workers. Described as "a controlled process of destruction" the excavations took the form of an 'open plan' approach, which means uncovering each level across the site, allowing the ancient topography to govern the pace and layout of the excavation. This method also allows for each find to be viewed in the context of other finds also discovered at the same level, or period.
Pieces of ships on boats, hammers, clothing, ornaments, carvings, and coins. The style of decoration gives a good indication of the date of various levels in the excavation. While the dig may now be over, researching the findings will continue for years. Excavations are not about uncovering hidden treasures but rather about piecing together a picture of life at the time.
13 successive building levels, each consisting of up to 14 plots were uncovered at Fishamble Street.
This episode of 'Viking Dublin' provides an insight into the work of the archaeologists and the discoveries they made on the site at Wood Quay.
| Title: | Hearth and Home |
| Clip Duration: | 00:24:15 |
| Material Type: | Video |
| Clip Title: | Opportunity for Archaeological Research |
| Series Title: | Viking Dublin |
| Information: | 'Viking Dublin' was a series of five programmes on medieval Dublin based on material shot during the Wood Quay archaeological excavations. This episode, broadcast on 17 October 1989 and narrated by David Kelly, follows archaeologists in their work of uncovering the past and shows the method of excavation used at Wood Quay. |
| Local Keywords: | Wood Quay, Vikings, Fishamble Street, Viking Dublin, Archaeology, Patrick Wallace |
| Coverage: | Ireland, Dublin |
| Genre: | Factual |
| Topic: | Society and Social Issues |
| Provider: | RTÉ |
| Contributor(s): | David Kelly (Narrator) |
| Publisher: | RTÉ |
| First Broadcast Channel: | RTÉ One |
| Production Year: | 1989 |
| Country of Production: | Ireland |
| Original Identifier: | LX3193 |
| IPR Restrictions: | Rights Reserved - Free Access |
| Rights, Terms and Conditions: | Copyright RTÉ. This material may not be replicated in any form or manner without the prior express permission of RTÉ. Any form of reproduction in print, television, video, multimedia, web site or other electronic media or any form of dissemination for commercial or non-commercial use must be licensed by the RTÉ Archives. If you wish to licence video or audio clips, still images or text, or would like further guidance please contact us. RTÉ Archives are committed to respecting the copyright of others and have attempted to source and credit the copyright owners of all material used here. RTÉ would like to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified here so that the necessary corrections can be made. If you feel your copyright has not been respected please contact us. |
| Item Type: | part/extract |
| Colour: | Colour |
| Sound: | Mono |
| Aspect Ratio: | 4:3 |
| Language: | English (eng) |
