Posted on 07/13/2005 4:00:07 PM PDT by blam
FURNESS DIG MAY HAVE FOUND ST PATRICK'S BIRTHPLACE
Published on 12/07/2005
ARCHAEOLOGISTS believe they have found the birthplace of St Patrick.
A dig in Urswick has uncovered a Roman fort which may be the Banna Vernta Berniae, thought by scholars to be where Irelands patron saint was born.
Excavations are being led by Steve Dickinson, from Ulverston, who tutors archaeology at Lancaster University.
Evidence of the Romans in Furness is rare. But Mr Dickinson is convinced the finds at Urswick are Roman with their typical layout of foundations and ditches.
Mr Dickinson said: I cant tell you how important it is for Furness and for the local community that helped us get to the point where weve reached and weve actually found something of national significance.
The village could be the missing Roman fort of Banna Venta Berniae which is the alleged birthplace of St Patrick who actually recorded it in his own writings. So potentially this is hot property.
Next Saturday Mr Dickinson and members of the Urswick First Light heritage group will have a stall at Urswicks Grand Day Out gala day in Urswick and public tours of the site take place on Sunday.
Is someone looking for tourist income?
I thought St. Pat was born in Italy.
Catholic Ping
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I had always assumed he was English.
Tomorrow is St. Patricks Day. A day for everyone to be Irish - at least for a few hours. Now for some, the occasion serves as a convenient reason for getting drunk and acting dumber than usual. We dont know a lot about Patrick of Ireland, but its doubtful hed approve of his day being celebrated that way.
Its believed he was born about 389 in southwest Britain and his British name was Succat. Kidnapped as a teenager by Irish bandits, he spent six years in captivity. Much of that time he was a pig herdsman. During this period Patrick went from a religious indifference to fierce piety. Every morning, regardless of weather, hed rise before dawn and go outside to pray. He began having visions, visions urging him to escape.
He ultimately did and made it to what is now France. He was reunited with his parents and lived with them for several years. After ordination as a priest, he returned to the land of his captivity - this time as the second bishop of Ireland.
We all know Ireland is an ancient land. A Phoenician explorer who landed there about 510 B.C. described it as populous and fertile. It was also a violent land, where clan fought clan for hundreds of years. Irish warriors were buried upright, armed for battle and facing their enemies. Cant be too careful, you know.
The Irish at the time worshipped the stars and the moon, the wind, water and about everything else. They believed in fairies and demons and elves. All in all, it was going to be a tough crowd to win over to Christianity.
Patrick concentrated on the north and the west of Ireland. He challenged the Druids directly by bring his own exorcists with him. Nothing like being prepared. Many miracles are attributed to Patrick. Nennius wrote, he gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, cleansed the lepers, cast out devils, redeemed captives, raised nine persons from the dead, and wrote 365 books.
Thats tough to believe, especially the part about 365 books. The shamrock, now widely considered the national symbol of Ireland, was used by Patrick to illustrate the mystery of the Holy Trinity. The device may not seem like much, but multimedia presentations werent to come until centuries later.
Patricius was a Roman born in Britain. I think he was kidnapped as a child and taken overseas.
Kidnapped and taken to Ireland as a slave. Later escaped to England became a bishop and went back to convert the Irish.
I thought he was Welsh!
He was left as a foundling at the side door of a Manhattan church which is now called "Saint Patrick's Cathedral".
(Sheesh! Do I have to explain everything?)
Thanks. Wish I had saved the end of that column. Sure it had a boffo ending.
I did write it. Boffo as in great. We hep cats talk like that sometimes.
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)
Well, you have to say, they wasted not a bit of time starting up with a stall and public tours, now did they ...
The Extraordinary Voyage of Pytheas the Greek
by Barry CunliffeFacing the Ocean:
The Atlantic and Its Peoples
8000 BC-AD 1500
by Barry CunliffePytheas of Massalia:
On the Ocean:
Text, Translation and Commentary
by Christina Horst RosemanNorth to Thule:
An Imagined Narrative
of the Famous Lost Sea Voyage
of Pytheas of Massalia
in the 4th Century B.C.
by John Frye
and Harriet Frye
I didn't even know he was born in a furnace. I thought that had something to do with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Speaking of Irish tourism...
The Blarney Stone
http://www.blarneycastle.ie/stone.asp?lang=en
LOL. I wondered where all the hep cats went. Am I showing my age?
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