Headland Archaeology inspire next generation of Indiana Jones!

30 August 2010

A group of local children were special guests this morning at Headland Archaeology,(Ireland) Ltd, Little Island Cork, where they got up close and personal with artifacts dating from the Late Pleistocene up to the post medieval period. The visit coincided with National Heritage Week which is coordinated by the Heritage Council. The aim of the week is to build awareness and education about Ireland's heritage in order to encourage its conservation and preservation.

The children enjoyed a tour of the facility and met with archaeologists who explained what archaeologists do from day to day.  They also examined some of the artifacts which included a Giant Irish Deer's antler from the Late Pleistocene, a polished stone axe from the Mesolithic, a Neolithic flint arrowhead, a Bronze Age funerary food vessel, ceramic bead necklace and a bronze spearhead, an Iron Age copper alloy barrel padlock key, a medieval bone comb, copper alloy ring pin, socketed iron arrowhead, bone weaving tool, pottery, and a post-medieval pistol. The skeletal remains of a medieval man were also put on display for the children who were thrilled with the findings.

Colm Moloney, Managing Director of Headland Archaeology said "When I was a child one of my teachers gave me an awareness and an appreciation of early Greek and Roman civilization. It was where my early passion for archaeology came from and set me on the path to the career I now have with Headland Archaeology. I wanted to share that passion with some local children and to show them what life as an archeologist is like. National Heritage week is the perfect time to show some of the artifacts to children and to make their significance real, so that they can appreciate their heritage and understand their history. We wanted to make the archaeological process come alive for the children so that we might even inspire the next Indiana Jones!"Established in 1996, Headland Archaeology specialises in projects such as the large scale Archaeological Test Trenching of the N22 Tralee Bypass/Tralee to Bealagrellagh scheme. One of the largest archaeology firms in Europe, with a turnover of €13.6m in 2008, the Headland Group supplies services to Ireland and the UK. Although Headland specialises in larger infrastructure and renewable projects, they also offer a comprehensive range of archaeological services, including specialist areas, such as field services, artefacts, environmental, geophysics, historic buildings, EIA, industrial, maritime, and military, to a broad spectrum of clients.

National Heritage Week takes place from the 21st to the 29th of August. See www.heritage.ie for up to date events. For more information on Headland Archaeology please see www.headlandarchaeology.com