Blog

Nollaig Shona Daoibh

Nollaig shona agus athbhliann faoi mhaise daoibh.

Moore Group and Moore Marine would like to wish you a very Happy Christmas and a successful 2009. As with previous years we won’t be issuing Christmas cards to our clients, sub-consultants and suppliers. This year we are donating to Galway Educate Together National School, Positive Mental Health and The RNLI.

Chris’ Little Drummer Boy film is still up at last years Christmas post for your Christmas viewing.

Our offices will be closed from Christmas Eve until the 5th of January.

For some Christmas reading the most recent 4SH (four stone hearth) blog carnival is up at The Greenbelt. Our Eyre Square shoes feature. The next 4SH will be published on Testimony of the Spade on 31st December.

Dec 22, 2008 | Categories:Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | 3 Comments »

Winter Solstice at Newgrange

This weekend is Winter Solstice weekend – the days will be getting longer, thankfully!

At sunrise on the solstice, a shaft of sunlight shines through the roof box over the entrance to Newgrange and penetrates the passage to light up the chamber. It’s a spectacular and dramatic event which only lasts for about 17 minutes at dawn on a few days before and after the Winter Solstice. Like last year the OPW will stream the event live at this link, from Newgrange on Sunday the 21st from 8.30am until 9.30am GMT. Last year over 300,00 people watched the event live on the web. Hopefully there’ll be some sun this year.

Entrance, Photo by Ger, Moore Group

Entrance, Photo by Ger, Moore Group

Access to the chamber at Newgrange is decided by lottery, however the OPW invite anyone to gather outside the entrance to the mound on each of the mornings from December 18th to December 23rd inclusive and there’s a free concert at 3.00pm on Sunday in the Bru na Boinne Visitor Centre featuring The Tredagh Singers from Drogheda.

Newgrange, Photo by Ger, Moore Group

Newgrange, Photo by Ger, Moore Group

Dec 17, 2008 | Categories:Uncategorized | Tags: , | Leave A Comment »

Christmas Afternoon festivities

No Friday Flora and Fauna this week as we’re off for a quiet, relaxing afternoon off and polite evening meal somewhere in town. FFF will be in hibernation until after the Christmas.

Republic Christmas party
Photo owned by wetwebwork (cc)

Dec 12, 2008 | Categories:About Environment | Tags: , , | Leave A Comment »

Çatalhöyük in Second Life

Last nights burning of Çatalhöyük in Second Life (SL) was a great event. Although I initially found it a little difficult to manoeuvre I was flying around the Island by the end of the event, and even did a little dancing after the gig. There’s a lot to see at the site (OKAPI Island in SL – http://slurl.com/secondlife/Okapi/128/128/0 – you’ll need the Second Life browser – for more see Colleens post here) and the reconstruction work carried out by the Berkeley team is fantastic. I can’t really comment on the tours as I was a little lost (maybe I should have actually stayed around the Orientation Island to learn how to get about) and late getting to each section.

Çatalhöyük burning, while fat Dec watches

Çatalhöyük burning, while Fat Dec watches

Dance Fat Dec, Dance

Dance Fat Dec, Dance

Dec 11, 2008 | Categories:About Archaeology | Tags: , , , | Leave A Comment »

Burning Çatalhöyük

On Wednesday UC Berkeley Students and Faculty will be burning Çatalhöyük – in Second Life that is.  Colleen at Middle Savagery tells us that Çatalhöyük on OKAPI Island in Second Life is a project developed by OKAPI, the Berkeley Archaeologists at Çatalhöyük, and the UC Berkeley DeCal program:

In development since 2006, i(t)s an exploration of the past and present of a 9,000 year old site located in present-day Turkey.  In this demonstration we intend to burn the existing models down in order to better understand the use of fire in Neolithic settlements.  In consultation with fire experts Karl Harrison and Ruth Tringham, and architecture expert Burcu Tung, a team of undergraduate apprentices have replicated the burning sequence of Building 77, a structure excavated in the summer of 2008.  OKAPI island also hosts reproductions of modern developments present at the site, including a water tower, Sadrettin’s café, the Chicken Shed and the nightly bonfire.

Here are the details (visit Middle Savagery for more info about where to go and how to get there):

Burning Çatalhöyük: A Virtual Public Archaeology Event
2PM-4:30PM Pacific Standard Time (10PM-12:30AM GMT or Universal Time)
December 10, 2008
Location: Okapi Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Okapi/128/128/0
(You must have the free Second Life browser)

Dec 08, 2008 | Categories:About Archaeology | Tags: , , | 1 Comment »