Posted on 08/05/2006 12:19:38 PM PDT by blam
More pieces of hidden bog book found
More fragments of an ancient manuscript concealed in a Co Tipperary bog over 1,000 years ago with a view to later recovery, have been found by the National Museum of Ireland, writes Seán Mac Connell
The discoveries also include a fine leather pouch in which the manuscript was originally kept.
Museum experts have excavated the site at Faddan More, in north Tipperary, since the discovery of the manuscript last month by excavator driver Eddie Fogarty.
He found the book on July 20th while digging peat on a bog owned by brothers Kevin and Patrick Leonard, according to a statement issued by the museum last night.
It said archaeologists and conservators had completed excavation of the area where the ancient manuscript was found. It described the find as "an extremely significant discovery".
"The site was excavated over seven days by archaeologists and conservators from the National Museum of Ireland.
"Part of a fine leather pouch in which the book was kept originally was recovered as well as other small fragments of the manuscript and its cover. The investigation results suggest the owner concealed the book deliberately, perhaps with a view to its later recovery," the statement noted.
"All the excavated material is now being conserved and analysed in the National Museum of Ireland and samples of the peat surrounding the find spot have been sent for specialist analysis," it said.
The area around Faddan More bog is rich in medieval history. Of particular relevance are important monastic foundations such as Lorrha and Terryglass in Co Tipperary and Birr and Seirkieran in Co Offaly, which are located nearby.
A leather satchel was found in the same bog six years ago and has been radiocarbon dated to between the 7th and 9th centuries AD.
© The Irish Times
. You never hear of any "bog people" here either.
Ach, and next you'll be telling us that there aren't any
"Bong People" in Californy.
It's the Blarney stone you've been kissing, in't.
"Have you ever heard of even one person in the U.S. harvesting and burning peat?"
Yes, kind of. Link below is not to one up you, but as a child growing up in rural Illinois, I remember a peat fire in one of my uncle's fields on more than one occasion. Takes for ever to put out - just smolders - may just burn itself out. I was pretty young.
One of the links mentions harvesting peat - this search only asked for Illinois, not the US or even the Midwest.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=peat+fire+illinois&btnG=Google+Search
From: http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=6944024
Because peat occurs on the surface, harvesting should have very little effect on the contour of the land.^In fact, productive land would be created for crops, trees, wildlife habitats, and lakes and ponds.^
It is estimated that U.S. reserves would yield about 120 billion tons of peat (on the basis of 35 weight percent moisture content).^The energy available from these reserves is estimated to be about 1440 quads (10/sup 15/ Btu), which is equivalent to 240 billion barrels of oil.^Among fossil fuels, this is exceeded only by the energy potential of U.S. coal resources.^
About 90 percent of the reserves are located in Alaska (61.7 billion tons), Minnesota (16.5 billion tons), Michigan (10.3 billion tons), Florida (6.9 billion tons), Wisconsin (6.4 billion tons), Louisiana (4.1 billion tons), and North Carolina (2.7 billion tons).
I love Ireland for one reason: Maureen O'Hara.
My father called the large empty lots the "back forty." We kids called it "the prairie" until the land was finally mowed.
Houses were not built on the land, for fear that the foundations would crack.
For some time, fires smoldered within the bog, occasionally flaring up enough that the fire department had to be called.
The good old days.
I grew up in Illinois and have similar memories. See my post #25.
Because of its glacial history, wetlands are particularly concentrated in northeastern Illinois. A variety of wetland types, such as marshes, sedge meadows, fens, and bogs, support a unique and sometimes rare flora and fauna. Bogs in Illinois are limited to glacial depressions in the northeastern part of the state. Acidic conditions created by the lack of drainage and accumulation of layers of peat support uniquely adapted flora, such as leatherleaf, blueberry, cranberry, ferns, orchids, pitcherplant, sundew, poison sumac, and tamarack.
Especially in "The Quiet Man". Loved her running across the moor in her bare feet. Sexier than Paris Hilton naked.
Medieval PING!
Ms.B
Impressive.
***I love Ireland for one reason: Maureen O'Hara.***
WATER! She gave me water!
Good PING!
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LOL great tagline
Bogs was a pitcher and Peat played foot ball - don't know what you mean.
They're now saying it is actually Psalm 84, with the confusion coming from different numbering in the Vulgate from the KJV.
http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=13006159&src=rss/oddlyEnoughNews
http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaking/story.asp?j=191201038&p=y9yzxy744&n=191201798
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