The South Wales Centre for Historical and Interdisciplinary Research at the University of Wales, Newport, continues its series of public research lectures with a study which literally tales the lid off early Irish society. On Wednesday 1 February Dr. Iestyn Jones is talking about the research for his recently-completed Ph D, in a lecture entitled Foreign Feet in Alien Houses: Vikings, dwellings and social identity in early modern Ireland. Houses are so commonplace that we take them for granted. When we step aside and look closely they are complex cultural structures that reflect a way of life of a people at a particular time. This talk will examine houses in Ireland during the early medieval period (AD 500-1200) using archaeological and literary evidence. It''s a topic that involves Cattle Lords, Clansmen and Vikings!
The settlement remains of this period in Ireland tells us a lot about the time and how life changed in this transformative period. The lecture will also examine some of the most remarkable settlement sites in Europe, where the remains of the houses were so well preserved that archaeologist felt they were snooping around 1200 year old houses.
Iestyn Jones will be known to our students as a visiting lecturer on early medieval history. He has also had a distinguished career as an actor with credits including the Welsh series Pobl y Cwm and the Radio Wales satire programme The LL Files.
The lecture will take place on the Caerleon campus, Main Building room A24 from 6.15 - 7.30 pm on Wednesday 1 Feb. Tea and coffee will be available afterwards. It will help with numbers if you book your place – email angharad.farley2@newport.ac.uk