Gordon Allard | University College Dublin (original) (raw)

Papers by Gordon Allard

Published in Trowel Volume XVII 2016, Archaeological journal UCD, Dublin, Ireland. Edited by Jo... more Published in Trowel Volume XVII 2016, Archaeological journal UCD, Dublin, Ireland. Edited by Jordan Young, Dolores Kearney, Aika Diesch and Ian Dunne. Pages 55 - 60.

Abstract:
Sitting in a protective glass display case in the Treasury room exhibition in the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street are two very small gold objects. At first appearance they seem unassuming, especially when surrounded by the other magnificent artefacts in the room such as the Broighter Hoard Boat and the Tara Brooch but these two objects have a fantastic story to tell. The two pendants are Fourth Century A.D. Roman Uniface (only printed on one side) gold coin pendants which were excavated at the Newgrange passage tomb, Co. Meath, Ireland. The pendants were discovered during archaeological excavations at Newgrange that were carried out from the year’s 1962 to 1975 A.D. One pendant depicts an image of the Roman Emperor Constantine I, while the second pendent is of Constantine II, his son. These two pendants constituted only a small part of the Roman artefacts (mostly coins and brooches) found buried outside the tomb and it is ironic that a depiction of the man many regard as the first Roman Christian Emperor (Constantine I) and his son (Constantine II) were probably buried as votive offerings to an unknown Celtic god right outside the entrance to of one of Irelands most sacred Neolithic burial sites. This article will explore these two pendants origins in detail, looking at their creation and what their intended use was. The article will also look at the historical period of the early Fourth Century A.D., investigating the Roman Empire, Emperor Constantine and his son at this time. By examining the political and military changes at this period in time which led the Roman Empire to have greater contact with cultures outside of the Empire this article will be try to demonstrate how these coins may have ended up in Ireland, buried outside Newgrange.

Published in Trowel Volume XVII 2016, Archaeological journal UCD, Dublin, Ireland. Edited by Jo... more Published in Trowel Volume XVII 2016, Archaeological journal UCD, Dublin, Ireland. Edited by Jordan Young, Dolores Kearney, Aika Diesch and Ian Dunne. Pages 55 - 60.

Abstract:
Sitting in a protective glass display case in the Treasury room exhibition in the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street are two very small gold objects. At first appearance they seem unassuming, especially when surrounded by the other magnificent artefacts in the room such as the Broighter Hoard Boat and the Tara Brooch but these two objects have a fantastic story to tell. The two pendants are Fourth Century A.D. Roman Uniface (only printed on one side) gold coin pendants which were excavated at the Newgrange passage tomb, Co. Meath, Ireland. The pendants were discovered during archaeological excavations at Newgrange that were carried out from the year’s 1962 to 1975 A.D. One pendant depicts an image of the Roman Emperor Constantine I, while the second pendent is of Constantine II, his son. These two pendants constituted only a small part of the Roman artefacts (mostly coins and brooches) found buried outside the tomb and it is ironic that a depiction of the man many regard as the first Roman Christian Emperor (Constantine I) and his son (Constantine II) were probably buried as votive offerings to an unknown Celtic god right outside the entrance to of one of Irelands most sacred Neolithic burial sites. This article will explore these two pendants origins in detail, looking at their creation and what their intended use was. The article will also look at the historical period of the early Fourth Century A.D., investigating the Roman Empire, Emperor Constantine and his son at this time. By examining the political and military changes at this period in time which led the Roman Empire to have greater contact with cultures outside of the Empire this article will be try to demonstrate how these coins may have ended up in Ireland, buried outside Newgrange.