SEMINAR

FRIENDS OF THE BOOK OF DEER – FIRST SEMINAR OF 2010.

This Seminar will be held on Friday the 5 th February 2010 in the Aberdeen University Chaplaincy , Old Aberdeen. The speaker is Dr. Clare Downham and her subject is “18 th Century Perceptions of the Vikings in North East Scotland.” Door will be open at 3pm for registration and light refreshments and the talk will start at 3 30. Attendees should enter by the back door.

Clare completed her PhD at Cambridge in 2003 and held a postdoctoral scholarship at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. Since September 2004 she has been a lecturer in Celtic in the School of Language and Literature in Aberdeen University. She also has teaching duties in the department of History; and her current teaching responsibilities include Vikings!, Vikings in Scotland, AD 795 – 1266 and Vikings in Britain and Ireland. At present Clare is working on the Viking Age in Ireland and Britain. She has given lectures at various locations in Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Norway. In 2009 she presented papers in Aberdeen, Cambridge, Reykjavik and Utrecht and organized the highly successful Conference “Cultural Icons of Medieval Scotland” in Aberdeen last July.

The author of many articles, Clare has also authored a monograph “ Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland: The Dynasty of Ivarr to A.D. 1014” which attracted praise such as “Clare Downham should be congratulated particularly for her deftness in handling exceptionally difficult source material and the clarity she brings to its interpretation” – this in the Journal of the Historical Association.

More information from Andrew 01346532309, Bunty 01771624459 or bookofdeer@yahoo.co.uk.

Cultural Icons of Medieval Scotland

The University of Aberdeen and the Project joined together to host a conference highlighting the cultural achievements of the North and the objects which help us to define the identity and early history of Scotland.

The conference kicked off on the evening of Wednesday 22nd July 2009 at 6.00 p.m. at King's College (KCG8) and continued on the Thursday at James McKay Hall. The amended programme is given here and if the various speakers co-operate we will have their power point presentations on this website in due course.

Wednesday 22nd July, 6pm, Public Lecture

Cultural Icons of Medieval Scotland

King's College (KCG8)

Professor David Dumville ( Aberdeen )

“The Book of Deer”

‘..... a Monument of North-Eastern book production?'

David illustrates a point during his contoversial talk.

Thursday 23 rd July 2009
James McKay Hall

CONFERENCE

8.45-9.15 am Registration

Session 1
Chair - Alan Cameron
(Chair of the Book of Deer Project)

Alex Woolf (St Andrews) Introduction

Heather Pulliam (Edinburgh) The Book of Deer and Pictish Art

Alan Cameron, the Project Chair with Dr. Jane Geddes, Dr. Heather Pullian and Dr. Alex. Woolf.

Session 2
Chair - Clare Downham (Aberdeen)

Ewan Campbell (Glasgow) The Stone of Destiny

Jane Geddes (Aberdeen) The Pictish Stones of St Vigeans

Raghnall Ó Floinn (National Museum of Ireland) The Monymusk Reliquary

Lunchtime talk

Olivia Lelong (Glasgow University)

The search for the Celtic Monastery at Old Deer

The hazel ash dating from hunter/gatherer times set in the alluvial silt caused by the Ugie flooding

Session 3
Chair – Sally Foster (Historic Scotland)

Susan Youngs (Oxford) St Ninian's Isle Hoard

  Gareth Williams (British Museum) Skaill silver hoard, Orkney

Session 4
Chair - Alastair Macdonald (Aberdeen)

                                    Ted Cowan (Glasgow) The Declaration of Arbroath

Jane Stevenson(Aberdeen) The Aberdeen Breviary

Louise Yeoman (BBC) Closing remarks