Come and meet the team from the National Museum of Ireland at the National Ploughing Championships, Ratheniska, Portlaoise, Co Laois, taking place from 17 to 19 September 2024.
Put your questions to our expert curators from the Irish Antiquities division of the National Museum of Ireland, learn about their daily work and upcoming exhibitions. You can also chat and take part in some fun activities and demonstrations with members of the education team from the National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology and our Country Life site in Co. Mayo.We are located in the Culture, Creativity, Archaeology and Sport Marquee in the Government of Ireland village. The activities below are suitable for all ages so come along and enjoy some culture and chats with us at the ploughing!
DAY ONE: Tuesday, 17 September
DEMONSTRATION: Early Bronze Age Pottery manufacture techniques.
10.30am-11am | 2.15pm-2.45pm
A short demonstration of the three or four different techniques used in the manufacture of Early Bronze Age bowls referred to as Bowl food vessels. They are highly decorated unglazed pottery bowls and would have been in use from 2200 to 1800 BC. Artists fast-drying clay will be used on this occasion to make the bowls. The tools used will be tools that were probably used by the Bronze Age people to decorate the bowls. During the demonstration there will also be a discussion on what the bowls would have been used for and how they would have been decorated and the tools used to decorate the bowls. A finished replica will be on display.
Back to the Bronze Age!
Bronze Age replica handling with the National Museum of Ireland
11.15am-12.15pm | 3pm-4pm
What was life like in Ireland during the Bronze Age? Meet and have a chat with the Education and Outreach team from the National Museum of Ireland to see and handle a collection of replica artefacts from Bronze Age Ireland. See an Early Bronze Age axehead, a bronze spearhead, and some amber beads and discover what objects people were making and using during the Bronze Age.
Quiz: Guess the artefact…
12noon-1pm
We're inviting members of the public to guess which of the iconic objects in the Irish Antiquities collections we have included in our "slideshow" of zoomed in images.
The name of the winner will be drawn at the end of the day, and the winners will receive a copy of the Treasures of the National Museum – Irish Antiquities and other Museum publications and gifts.
DAY TWO: Wednesday, 18 September
Animal Bone demonstration
12pm-12.30pm | 2.30pm -3pm
Learn about why archaeologists study animal bones and how this material adds to our understanding of the past.
Just like the present, people in the past interacted with animals in their environment. Through zooarchaeology, the study of animal bones from archeological contexts, we can gain information on diet, hunting practices, trade, and much more. Learn how and why archaeologists study human-animal relationships through this analysis and what animal bones can tell us.
Quiz: Guess the artefact…
12pm-1pm
We're inviting members of the public to guess which of the iconic objects in the Irish Antiquities collections we have included in our "slideshow" of zoomed in images.
The name of the winner will be drawn at the end of the day, and the winners will receive a copy of the Treasures of the National Museum – Irish Antiquities and other Museum publications and other Museum gifts.
DAY THREE: Thursday, 19 September
Flint knapping demonstration
10.30am -11am | 1.45pm-2.15pm
A short demonstration of the techniques used in Irish prehistory to manufacture stone tools. This will also include a discussion on what prehistoric Ireland was like, and what the tools were used for. Finished replicas will be shown to demonstrate what we are missing from the archaeological record, and why the ‘stone age’ is not an accurate description of the period.
Quiz: Guess the artefact…
12pm-1pm
We're inviting members of the public to guess which of the iconic objects in the Irish Antiquities collections we have included in our "slideshow" of zoomed in images.
The name of the winner will be drawn at the end of the day, and the winners will receive a copy of the Treasures of the National Museum – Irish Antiquities and other Museum publications and other Museum gifts.