Death in Irish Prehistory Part I

Dig into the Story of Death in Irish Prehistory in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 40 with Prof. Gabriel Cooney

Death in Irish Prehistory Part I

Dig into the Story of Death in Irish Prehistory in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 40 with Prof. Gabriel Cooney

This is the first part of an in-depth discussion with Professor Gabriel Cooney on his landmark publication – Death in Irish Prehistory.

The new publication Death in Irish Prehistory covers life and death over 8,500 years in Ireland. The book explores the richness of the mortuary record that we have for Irish prehistory (8000 BC to AD 500) as a highlight of the archaeological record for that long period of time. Because we are dealing with how people coped with death, this rich and diverse record of mortuary practice is also relevant to understanding how we deal with death today, which is just as central a social issue as it always was. Written by Professor Gabriel Cooney, and beautifully illustrated by Conor McHale, the book is a landmark publication for Irish archaeology. It is thoughtful, insightful and beautifully produced, and helps to humanise those who walked before us, some millennia ago.

In this episode of Amplify Archaeology Podcast, Neil has an in depth discussion with the author of Death in Irish Prehistory, Professor Gabriel Cooney. In this part, we discuss the archaeology of death, and how we know what we know. And what the types of evidence can reveal about life, death and belief in prehistoric Ireland. Don’t forget to join us for part two, where we take a chronological approach and look at continuity, change and belief over 8500 years. You can find Part Two of the discussion here.

With the exception of the banner that features an aerial image of Fourknocks Passage Tomb, the images here are all courtesy of the Royal Irish Academy.

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