UCD archaeologists win prestigious EAA Book Prize
Posted 28 August, 2024
UCD archaeologists have been named this year’s recipients of the prestigious (opens in a new window)European Association of Archaeologists Book Prize.
Professors (opens in a new window)Gabriel Cooney and (opens in a new window)Graeme Warren, from the UCD School of Archaeology, were announced as the 2024 winners at the opening ceremony of the 30th EAA Annual Meeting in Rome, Italy.
One of the world’s largest archaeology associations with more than 15,000 members, the EAA annually awards its Book Prize to works that have had a formative influence on the appreciation and interest of the general public when it comes to archaeological research, and have helped address issues in archaeological heritage management.
Professor Cooney received the Award for his book, (opens in a new window)Death in Irish Prehistory (Royal Irish Academy, 2023), which details life and death over 8,500 years in Ireland, exploring the richness of the mortuary record available for Irish prehistory (8000 BC to AD 500).
Praising the scholarly monograph, Professor Sarah Tarlow, of the University of Leicester, said it was “a magnificent achievement”.
“In taking on eight and a half thousand years of death in Ireland, Cooney celebrates life, and shows us how enriching a deep knowledge of the past can be, as our ancestors knew. His breadth of scholarship is evident not only in his thorough and detailed summaries of Irish evidence, but also in being able to contextualise that knowledge within a European perspective, and explain it with reference to the most important and sophisticated developments in archaeological theory.”
Adding: “The book is evocatively illustrated by Conor McHale, and Cooney cites poetry and fiction, including using his own fictional vignettes, so that the human experience of dying and bereavement is never sacrificed in the quest for big patterns.”
Robin Skeates, chair of the EAA Book Prize Committee, presents the EAA Book Prize 2024 to Gabriel Cooley for “Death in Irish Prehistory" (Royal Irish Academy 2023) & Graeme Warren for "Hunter-Gatherer Ireland: Making Connections in an Island World" (Oxbow Books 2022) (opens in a new window)#EAA2024 (opens in a new window)pic.twitter.com/7eneTHCPS2
— European Association of Archaeologists (@archaeologyEAA) (opens in a new window)August 28, 2024
Professor Warren’s (opens in a new window)Hunter-Gatherer Ireland: Making Connections in an Island World (Oxbow Books) explores the Irish Mesolithic era, making significant use of data recovered from archaeological excavations to understand the communities of hunter-gatherers and the different ways people lived.
The book aims to understand Ireland in a European context, and provides a different vision of the Irish Mesolithic to the numerous accounts that stress it was a period of insularity and isolation.
British Archaeology described the book as ‘thoughtful and thought provoking’, ‘fantastic… and genuinely transformative’, saying that it is ‘vital reading for those more familiar with early prehistory’.
Archaeology Ireland called it ‘refreshing… accessible’, saying it ‘gently draws the people of the Irish Mesolithic out of the mists of time’.
Congratulating the awardees, UCD School of Archaeology’s Head of School (opens in a new window)Professor Aidan O’Sullivan said he was delighted to see the scholarship and craft of UCD colleagues “recognised at such a prestigious international level with these EAA awards”.
“Gabriel’s and Graeme’s highly original, evocative and creative books testify to their own expertise, as well as the work of generations of archaeologists in uncovering this island’s deep past, while also telling amazing stories of people’s lives thousands of years ago. We extend congratulations to everyone involved in making these two wonderful books, and especially well done to Gabriel and Graeme.”
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
