Celtic History In the News – September 2019

Celtic History In the News – September 2019

‘Spectacular’ monument aligned with the Winter Solstice found near Newgrange

Archaeologists have identified about 40 previously unknown monuments near Newgrange in an “exceptionally successful” survey.

Student reveals the face of Iron Age female druid

A University of Dundee student has digitally revealed the face of one of Scotland’s oldest druids, believed to have been more than 60 years old when she died during the Iron Age.

Seal-Tooth Pendant Uncovered at Iron Age Village in Scotland

A 2,500-year-old perforated seal tooth that may have been worn as a pendant, a weaving comb carved from bone, pottery, and shards of Roman glass have been discovered at Swandro, a coastal Iron Age site on the largest of the Orkney Island.

Archaeologists found a Viking ‘drinking hall’ on an island off the coast of Scotland

A large Norse “drinking hall” was discovered on an island of Scotland, archaeologists say, and is believed to have been used by a viking chieftain named Earl Sigurd way back in the 12th century.

Wanted: The Missing Bones of a Scottish ‘Witch’

Officials in Fife have put out a call for the remains of Lilias Adie, who died in prison in the early 1700’s after being accused of witchcraft.

How a Scottish Botanist Stole China’s Tea and Changed Indian History

Robert Fortune knew his tea. In 1843, the Scottish botanist sailed to China, funded by the Royal Horticultural Society, to study the varieties of the drink grown there that had become hugely popular in Britain. But when the British East India Company reached out to him in 1848 and requested he return to China, it was for a very different mission — this time not to study, but to steal.

‘Lost Village’ Found at Site of Most Infamous Clan Massacre in Scotland

Archaeologists excavating the scene of the most infamous clan massacre in Scottish history have unearthed parts of a “lost village” in the Highlands valley of Glencoe.

A young Irish patriot dies – rebel Ireland fights on

John Keegan Casey, a central figure of the Fenian Rising, died on Saint Patrick’s Day 1870. His was a slow and lingering death. The Crown Forces were relieved. His enlightened and ‘dangerous’ voice would no longer be heard to arouse and inspire resistance and rebellion, and their treachery had worked.

Genetics study shows connection between people in Iceland, Donegal and Scotland’s western isles

The research project, published in the current edition of the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, sheds light on the Gaelic component to the Icelandic gene pool and has also found strong genetic connections between the Scots and Norse Vikings.

Exploring Royal Scotland: Glamis Castle

Set in the lush Angus countryside, Glamis Castle is the ancestral seat to the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne. The castle itself dates back to 1400, but the area where the property now sits has been witness to hundreds of years of royal history prior to its construction.