“Disert Ireland Archaeological Field School- Excavations at an early ecclesiastical site in Co. Donegal, Ireland”
by
Megan Donham, Cal State LA Graduate Student
Monday, January 9, 2023
5:00 – 6:00 PM PST
Disert is a ritual pilgrim landscape in Co. Donegal that includes a series of early ecclesiastical enclosures, penitential carns, a holy well dedicated to St Colmcille (also known as St Columba), a post-medieval altar and a chillín (children’s graveyard). It may date to as early as the sixth century AD when it was reputedly founded by St Colmcille or may even extend back into prehistory. Disert is still important today for religious devotion and for pilgrims seeking miraculous cures for medical conditions. Excavation at the Disert site began in 2019. Megan will talk about the excavation and her experiences at this field school and her post excavation laboratory work.

Megan Donham is a graduate student at California State University, Los Angles. She received her B.A. at University of Nevada, Reno majoring in Anthropology. She gained experience for artifact processing with the Great Basin Consulting Group in Reno, Nevada. In 2018 she attended a University of Oregon Archaeology Field School at the Connley Caves supervised by Dr. Dennis Jenkins and Katelyn McDonough. Her publication in 2020 was Donham, Megan, Richard Rosencrance, Katelyn McDonough, Haden Kingrey and Dennis L. Jenkins, “Debitage Analysis of Younger Dryas Occupations at the Connley Caves and the Identification of New Toolstone in the Fort Rock Basin, Oregon” in Current Archaeological Happenings in Oregon 43(3):17-13.