World Archaeological Congress part 3

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ImageDay three at WAC and the conference mates are well.
Following our prehistoric musical interlude yesterday afternoon, I attended a session on development-funded archaeology in Ireland. As you can imagine, following the massive building boom in Ireland, the amount of such archaeology has climbed dizzy heights.

Just so happened that I was sitting next to George Eogan (CA 188) the doyen of Irish Archaeology, and the man whose impact on Irish heritage has probably been unmatched. He suggested a catch-up coffee where we talked more about Ireland, archaeology, and all the work that he is still involved in.
Following our coffee, I caught the tail-end of a session on the Excavation of Francis Bacon’s studio. Here the archaeologists explained how they had documented every item in Bacon’s studio in order to shift it to its new exhibition home. Lord Renfrew led the pre-discussion remarks, and asked the question: ‘How, in such a small studio, did Bacon ever compose his triptychs’. The jury was out, but the archaeologists figured he must have painted each canvas one by one, and not seen them all together in his studio.
This took us to 6.30pm when I met up with George again. Together we drove to the National Museum, where George was speaking to assembled WAC   delegates for the Tuesday evening reception.
Right now, I am waiting for the 9am departure for our mid-congress tour. We are off to Tara, the old sacred   site in central County Meath. Its monuments range in date from the mid 4th millennium BC to the 15th century AD. However, the sites are sadly under threat from road building, which is why I am particularly keen to be part of this tour. Our guide is a key person involved in campaigning for their preservation. It should be an interesting day. P.S. And it’s sunny!

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