Gerald Sheeran
Irish and Great Britain descent. 50% Irish - 40% + British Isles and a smattering of Scandinavian. Retired Construction Superintendent - living in Southern California - love travelling
Location California, USA
Activity
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Many thanks to all who put together this wonderful course. It has really enhanced my understanding and appreciation for the Book of Kells. I am anxious to return to Ireland and see it once again in all its glory, with newfound and more scholarly knowledge about it.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
It’s hard for me to choose a “most important” or “most interesting” week. To me, the sections on History, Making, and Meaning were all equally important to gaining a fuller appreciation and understanding of this wonderful treasure. Having sections of the work (replicas of course) enlarged and highlighted with explanatory description, along with examples of...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
The Book seems to have been viewed more as a curiosity in the early articles, to the extent that notables such as Queen Victoria were allowed to graffiti it by signing a blank page! At time went by, it is clear that it came to be viewed as a unique and precious example of Irish heritage. Good to see that the people in charge of Trinity Library resisted the...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Nice to see credit given to a woman scholar such as Margaret Stokes—very talented lady!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I think visitors in earlier times were primarily scholars who were interested in studying the Biblical passages. Nowadays, visitors are likely more interested in it for its historical and artistic value as well as intrigued by its great age. It’s rare to see an object that is over 1200 years old (particularly for visitors like me from the New World) that has...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I have really enjoyed this week—very interesting to learn more about the symbology. It helps me to appreciate the Book for more than just the beautiful artwork—the art actually has deep meaning behind it.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Once again, I find myself in awe of the richness of the Book of Kells and wishing I had taken this course before seeing the Book in person. A return trip is in order!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
While familiar with the trinity references and cross symbology, I had never understood Chi-Rho nor had ever even heard of the lozenge symbol. Fascinating—each page has so many levels of meaning beyond the sacred text.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Absolutely fascinating! The supplemental materials (the video from Getty on making manuscripts and the segment on pigment throughout the ages in particular) were very interesting. I have a new-found appreciation for the amount of work that went into making such beautiful manuscripts—not just for the work of the scribes and illuminations, but also the “behind...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I would be hard pressed to guess, as it would depend upon the number of scribes, number of illustrators, availability of supplies, time available to work etc. I’ve not seen mentioned whether these were dedicated workers ie only responsible for these tasks, or were they expected to also contribute manpower to the other tasks necessary to operating a monastery...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Given all that it has gone through along with the passage of over a millennia, it is truly a miracle that so much of the Book of Kells survives and is still legible.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Very interesting video, and I enjoyed the supplementary reading of “The Book of Kells, Book of Durrow...” about findings made during re-binding these books, as well as the article on “Sampling DNA...”. I never gave any thought as to how vellum is made nor how the manuscripts were constructed and hope to learn more.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
The working conditions were difficult—poor lighting, cold & uncomfortable—and the scribes were often hungry or in pain from muscle cramps or arthritic joints. I would imagine that sometimes the original texts they were copying might be in poor condition or difficult to read as well. Perhaps their writing implements were not ideal or they did not have all the...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
The Plummer article (On the Colophons and Marginalia...) was fascinating! I loved all the little details. I never realized there were so many notes in the margins of the Book of Kells—a bit like modern-day students scribbling in the margins of their textbooks.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Very interesting so far and I am looking forward to next week’s topics!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
New goal for my next visit to Ireland: visit the National Museum. How have I missed it on my previous trips??
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
It seems it would be quite dark in these areas with so few windows, not to mention damp and dank. Even by candlelight, the light would be very dim. To get enough light, one would need multiple candles but that would increase the risk of fire. The candelabra would have to be placed close enough to maximize the light, but not so close as to allow wax to drip on...
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Being from California, I am not aware of any artifacts dating to this period. There might be some Native pottery, primitive weaponry or stone work dating from Native settlements located in museums, but nothing to compare to the Book of Kells. The first Europeans did not arrive to California until hundreds of years later. We are such a young country!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I’m from Southern California (also hot and smoky at this time due to raging wildfires). I’d say two of our greatest cultural treasures are the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. The first because it was our Founding Fathers’ expression of the desire to have an independent country, free of the monarchical reign of far-off England. And the...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I now plan to revisit my itinerary for an upcoming trip to Britain to include a visit to some of the Wall sites looked at in this course. I wish I had taken this course before my first visit to the Wall 5 years ago. I would have gotten a much better appreciation for what I saw that day!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
This has been a fascinating course. I particularly enjoyed decoding the tombstones, learning more about life on the frontier (particularly the women and families), and learning about the various “non-invasive” ways of learning what lies beneath the surface of the soil. I also enjoyed exploring the links to the various museums with artifacts. Brilliant job on...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Great video showing the evolution and development of the area over the centuries—brilliant!
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Another wonderful collection and interesting museum that I would love to visit in person.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I did not know that the use of BC/AD was associated with Bede. The link to the Lindisfarne Gospels was particularly interesting to me—excellent images of the illuminated manuscript.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Again, fascinating stuff! I saw the Traprain Law Hoard when I first visited Scotland 10 years ago but have a greater appreciation for what a magnificent find it is after taking this course. The NMS Website and video is very informative and well-worth a look. Makes me want to visit again!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Fascinating—I would like to know the rest of the results!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
How do they know for certain that part of the Praetorium was repurposed as a church—what is the evidence? And also, what is the evidence that shows that additional floors were added on to buildings? How can you tell, when it appears that what remains are only low walls? I’m curious....
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
What a great, interactive way of learning—very engaging and requiring of much research!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
The wife on the left is quite dismissive of the other wives’ concerns as well as the capabilities of the “barbarians”. She seems to believe that since they are not Romans that they are lesser people, incapable of sophisticated and coordinated planning and action. Classic mistake: never underestimate your enemy!
All 3 wives are concerned regarding the lack...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Lack of resources, money, supplies, ships etc to be able to do their jobs properly. They are trying to do their jobs but don’t feel supported, nor do they appreciate that intelligence information they pass on is not acted upon.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Caelestis is probably nervous and anxious to impress Count Theodosius—a natural reaction for any of us when we hear the “Big Boss” is coming to check on things!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
One can only imagine what American coins would look like if Donald Trump were allowed to put his own image and message on the coins. Talk about propaganda!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Wow, what a lot of chaos! It must have been tough not only on the soldiers who were constantly at war, but also on the civilians.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I think all 3 are possibilities, but the further afield from the Wall, the more likely the objects were to have been traded or exchanged with other locals.
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Gerald Sheeran replied to David Thomas
@DavidThomas I was curious about this as well. @MherPéltèkian —thanks for the explanation!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Wow, what a lot of turmoil after Alexander Severus died! I imagine there was a great deal of upheaval and instability.
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I am very excited about this technology as a means not only to study but also to digitally preserve historical artifacts. I think of all the old tombstones and grave markers I have seen in cemeteries and churches that are so worn and eroded due to weathering, the passage of time, or being walked upon in churches for centuries. This would be a means to recover...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I find it interesting that so much of the inscriptions are dedicated to identifying the donor of the altar. This reminds me of many religious paintings and altarpieces in Renaissance times, where the patron is depicted somewhere in the painting alongside Mary & Jesus or whoever the subject is. I guess the current equivalency is getting a building or museum...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
The seven levels in this cult make me think of the various steps one goes through to rise up in the Masonic organization. There are probably more examples of this in other religions or groups.
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Gerald Sheeran replied to Jovana J
I was wondering that as well. Is it through contemporary literature of the times that describes the rituals? Curious...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I never previously gave a thought to the decorative elements of an altar and that they might actually symbolize something or convey a message. But in a time when many people were illiterate, it makes sense.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I can’t speak for its use and placement in the barracks, but this imagery reminds me of some of the frescoes and wall decorations/signage in ancient Pompeii. Some was just art or graffiti, but others were placed outside of brothels and on the brothel walls as an advertisement for the business and “menu” of the services available!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Modern society uses ancient imagery in many ways. The cross or crucifix is used to symbolize Christianity, as is a fish or a lamb (Lamb of God). The Star of David likewise represents Judaism and the crescent moon, Islam. These symbols are instantly recognizable the world over and are used in jewelry, on gravestones, on churches or temples, as tattoos —the list...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I have been surprised by the depth and breadth of the Roman civilization on the frontier. I had always assumed it was just soldiers on the lonely frontier and was surprised to learn that women & children, families, etc were there as well as the many strata of Roman society from high-born to freedmen to slaves.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
It sure seems suspicious that the bairn was buried under the floor of the barracks, especially given the addition of lime to aid in decomposition and (presumably) to cover up the stench. I agree with others that the lack of most of the skull suggests possible severe head trauma. Poor child!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I think there is simply too little known to say with any certainty that “this type of brooch was used by this class of people”. Without contemporaneous examples of art work (paintings, carvings, sculpture) clearly picturing this, how could one say definitively? It would be like looking at today’s clothing 1000 years from now and saying that all people who wore...
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I agree with you.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Quite ingenious construction techniques they used! But those poor slaves whose job it was to keep the baths heated and cleaned....
It must have been an amazingly luxurious experience to come in after a hard day’s work on the cold frontier and to get warm and clean.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Victor and Regina (not to mention Barates and Numerianus) probably never dreamed that 2000 years later we would be talking about them and speculating about their respective lives. I found the symbology of the funerary monuments every bit as fascinating as the inscriptions.
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I imagine life on the frontier would have been lonely and difficult for Lucille. While she probably had more in ‘creature comforts’ and status than the average Roman woman (especially slave women), it nevertheless must have been harsh, cold, lacking in much companionship or even entertainment. I think with her status, life in a city would have been much more...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Interesting experience. It definitely takes some skill and practice (of which I need more) to be able to interpret what is seen!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I had no idea all this was involved, but it makes perfect sense. Silly me, I always thought of archeology in terms of the traditional “dig”, physically uncovering ancient ruins, artifacts, burial sites, and the like. But it is interesting to know that their are other ways to learn what’s beneath the surface, without necessarily disturbing the various layers.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Sounds like another interesting week in store for us!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Fascinating! I love looking at artifacts like this that bring the ancient people to life. The video/3D scans were especially fantastic as it made it so much easier to see the objects as a whole as opposed to just a 2D picture.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I did not realize glass existed in Roman times (silly me) and picture it being used by commanding officers and those of high status. And I am intrigued by the decorated vessels. That someone had the leisure time to decorate pottery, or perhaps a merchant had manufactured decorated pottery and sold it (presumably at higher price) again implies a user with...
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It does make one wonder why the fort was abandoned, leaving behind such valuables as swords. Leaving one’s sword behind could mean the difference between life and death!
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I think the Romans were very good at recruiting locals into their armies by dangling the incentive of Roman citizenship in front of them. I would imagine that once an area was conquered, the defeated army would be given the choice of join the Romans or be killed. Powerful incentive if you wish to stay alive and feed your family! And as time went by, more...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
It must have been quite time-consuming and therefore costly to construct such elaborate burial stones, especially one like the one of Flavinus. Surely such stones were not for every soldier?
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I’ve thought the same thing!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Without any physical evidence to back up Tacitus’s claims or corroborating narratives from another contemporary, there is no way to verify his claims. As others have stated, history is written by the victors so this account, while interesting, must be looked at as propaganda until supporting evidence is unearthed and sheds more light on the topic.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I’ve really enjoyed the course so far and look forward to learning more in the coming weeks. I said it before, but I wish I could have taken this course prior to visiting the Wall a few years ago. I would have gotten so much more out of what I saw then.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I think it was built for many reasons, a defensive barrier being one. But I think the principal reason was as a means to control the frontier: to control access and trade, the movement of goods to-and-fro. The Romans surely had an interest in controlling access to their territories from non-residents (as opposed to Roman citizens, free people and slaves living...
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I had no idea the forts garrisoned so many men—much larger than I had envisioned.
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I think Octavius is a civilian, a merchant, with problems common to today’s merchants: cash flow, difficulty with transporting/receiving goods, money not credited to an account, etc. It must have been a constant challenge to keep goods and supplies flowing on the frontier.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Life must have been so very lonely for women at these frontier outposts. I’m sure they would have been glad for any contact with other women and especially for visits in person, as traveling between forts was risky and dangerous. I didn’t realize they celebrated birthdays—it sounds much like an invitation today.
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Colloquialisms, sloppy handwriting, diverse spelling, poor grammar—sounds like the complaints made about written documents today!
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I wish I had started this course before planning my upcoming trip to the UK. I would have stayed a little longer so I could visit Vindolanda!
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Interesting that evidence can be seen by aerial photography and still exists nearly 2000 years later! I never realized the differences in crop growth might indicate different substrata and thus be archaelogical evidence.
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I agree with you and couldn’t have said it better. The authentic statue of Hadrian is probably more representative of how he wanted to be seen by the public.
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Gerald Sheeran replied to Karen Smith
I did that one a few months ago and LOVED it—so interesting! I recently completed the course on Richard III and that was good as well.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I live in the States so no Roman ruins anywhere near :). But we did visit a portion of Hadrian’s Wall near Bardon Mill in 2016 while driving through England. Quite fascinating and I am looking forward to learning more through this course!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Thanks to all for bringing this topic to life!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Not being British nor well-versed in British history and the monarchy, I found week 1 interesting but confusing. I would have liked a timeline or chart I could have printed out for reference to keep the main personages and events straight. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the other weeks with the exception of week 3. The use and spread of manuscripts and literacy...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Very interesting course overall, particularly the last week, seeing how archaeology working along with science located and identified Richard III. And I did enjoy learning more about England during the Medieval period.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Very moving. I particularly liked the Leicester Glow with all the candles, it must have really been a touching sight to see.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I would love to visit this someday. It looks like a nice balance between science/technology with history, in an interactive and engaging presentation.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Fascinating article!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Very painstaking, careful work!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I had been following this story from afar as it unfolded in the news, and would now love to visit Leicester to see the area in person, as well as go on to visit Richard III’s new burial site.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Utterly fascinating. I feel like this week’s section is the climax of a really good drama and we are seeing the payoff now.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Absolutely remarkable that the remains had not been destroyed by previous building works on the site, nor even by the machinery used to dig the trenches!
And interesting bit about placing burials in a site to be walker over and seen. I’ve always taken great care to NOT walk directly over a burial but rather around it as a sign of respect, and additionally...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I have been looking forward to this section throughout this course. It is such a fascinating detective/archaeology story, and I followed it closely when the discovery of Richard’s remains was reported in the news.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Learning about the diet of people in the Middle Ages helped me to better understand what daily life would have been like then. I knew more about the upper class diet and was surprised to learn that the typical diet for peasants was much more varied than I had assumed.
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I was wondering that as well!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
The first “etiquette” books! It would be interesting to know what was considered polite and socially acceptable vs a faux pas.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Interesting that the fork hadn’t been invented for table use yet. Imagine being at the table the first time someone brought one out to use! It makes sense that guest brought their own knives as I’m sure they were carried and used on a daily basis for all manner of tasks. We would do well to start carrying our own cutlery again, instead of relying on single-use...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I’m surprised that the poor people in cities had no ability to prepare hot food at home. I had always assumed they would at least have a fireplace or hearth for heating and could thus cook over the fire. This course is challenging my assumptions!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I never knew that eating horse was religiously proscribed—always thought it was because horses were needed for transportation and for plowing. And it was interesting that ducks and beavers were considered “fish” and could be eaten on Fridays. I guess if the animal “lived” in water, it was ”fish”!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Some of those menus in the “Manual of Good Housekeeping”—24 dishes on 6 platters! One would need a large kitchen staff to put out that quantity of food!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I found this interesting:
Tomatoes were not introduced to Europe until the 16th century, when they were brought back from the New World. The upper classes thought they were poisonous because the acid in tomatoes would leach lead from the pewter plates commonly used, causing lead poisoning. However, the lower classes ate off of wooden plates thus didn’t have...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
The Plantagenet Pie looks very interesting and tasty—I’ll have to give it a try.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
This was a very interesting week. I like getting greater insight into what the lives of people was like in a different time period.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
The scale of the Battle of Towson and the loss of life are staggering. The ugly brutality of war...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Very interesting project—makes me want to visit Framingham on my next visit to the UK.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I haven’t seen any transi tombs but have seen many effigies as well as inlaid slabs, primarily in churches. They are fascinating, but sadly many of the ancient slabs that are inlaid in the floors of the churches are now so worn from being walked on for centuries that they are illegible. I hope the parish archives have kept a careful record so that the...
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I was unaware that people were commonly buried nude and laid out in an east-west orientation. And the St. Bees excavation was an interesting study.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
What a great idea to use Richard’s Book of Hours to teach young people, and to then have them create their own Book of Hours. Making history real and relevant!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
Very interesting, and the link to the facsimile of The Bedford Hours was truly fascinating. Such a beautiful book—what a pleasure it would be to own and use a book such as that on a daily basis.
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
I had never considered how the development of the printing press led to the standardization of printed language. Fascinating!
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Gerald Sheeran made a comment
While I don’t have any old or valuable books, I do have quite a varied collection. Some I’ve kept because they were treasured by my deceased mother, a few are childhood favorites, some are the collected works of favorite authors, and then there are my small collection of Italian and Spanish-language books. I have a number of e-books so I can read whilst...