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.

Death in Irish Prehistory Part 1 – Key Discussion Points

• A chat about cultural relativism – 2 min 30 secs
• The impetus behind the book and the way that it is structured – 9 min 30 secs
• What can archaeology tell us about life and death – 13 min 34 secs
• How to be an objective observer as an archaeologist – 17 min 35 secs
• While archaeology can tell us about practice what can it tell us of belief? – 19 min 40 secs
• The development of archaeological practice and theory in relation to prehistoric mortuary sites – 29 min 55 secs
• Do we have better evidence for some periods than others? – 37 min 06 secs
• Is there a danger of selection bias when it comes to the circumstances and type of sites excavated? – 40 min 05 secs
• Is there an inherit bias in terms of who was buried and how? Includes discussion of survival bias – 45 min 03 secs

Show notes and links to further information

• You can find Part Two of the discussion here.
• I can’t recommend the book highly enough! You can purchase a copy here.
• Please do leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts if you can, or share the episode using the podcast #AmplifyArchaeology – it really does help us to be found so I’d be very grateful!
• If you’d like to dig deeper into the stories of Ireland you’ll love our new membership service Tuatha. You’ll find online courses on Irish archaeology and heritage, articles on places to visit, itineraries for great days out (including one on the Boyne Valley featuring a number of the megalithic tombs discussed here), opportunities to join us on our monthly lecture series and on our tours, and lots more! You can learn more and sign up here.
• You can now purchase a gift membership to Tuatha, so if you have an archaeology aficionado in your life, or someone who loves going exploring Ireland’s ancient monuments, consider making the past their present. You can find monthly or annual vouchers here.