The oldest known ink pen in Ireland was discovered during the excavation of a stone fort in County Clare.
Archaeologist Michelle Comber of the National University of Ireland, Galway unearthed the 1,000-year-old writing implement from the Caherconnell Cashel.
This 140-foot-wide ringfort was built in the late 10th century and would have been home to wealthy — and, it seems, literate — local rulers until the early 1600s.
Another artifact from the site has shown that the occupants were involved in a variety of pursuits. These included fine craftworking, metalwork, trading, games, music, and so on.
Most examples of early literacy in Ireland come from the Church, whose hardworking scribes painstakingly copied all manner of ecclesiastical texts.
Most famous, perhaps, is the Book of Kells — a manuscript created in honour of Christ in 800 AD that is resplendent with elaborate calligraphy and illustrations.
However, Dr Comber believes that the individual who used the Caherconnell pen likely did so in order to record more mundane things like family lineages and trades.
Ireland’s oldest-known ink pen (pictured) — which sports a hollow bone barrel and copper-alloy nib — has been found during excavations of a cashel, or stone fort, in County Clare
Michelle Comber, an archaeologist from Galway’s National University of Ireland discovered the Caherconnell cashel’s 1,000-year-old writing instrument.
MailOnline was informed by Dr Comber that the Caherconnell bone-and metal pen is the oldest complete composite pen found anywhere in the British Isles.
Earlier in British history, however, the Romans were known to use pens that were made entirely of a copper-alloy, rather than sporting a separate barrel and nib.
There are several copper-alloy nibs found in England. These were discovered without the required barrel and date from the 13th to 16th century.
On the flip side, a couple of hollow bone pen shafts have been recovered from the London area that data to the 13th–15th centuries.
If, as suspected given their lack of splint point, these were originally used with attached nibs — much like the Caherconnell pen — such have been long lost.
Dr. Comber says the most interesting part of this discovery was the setting from which it appeared to originate, in a secular rather than religious environment.
Perhaps the most curious part of the discovery of the pen (pictured) is the context from which it appears to have originated — namely in a secular, rather than religious, setting
The archaeologist stated that the Caherconnell Archaeology Project was a rewarding endeavor with numerous unexpected and thrilling discoveries.
“This finding has exceeded all expectations. It reveals the exciting prospect of advanced secular literacy in Ireland’s 11th century.
The fact that most known evidence of early literacy in Ireland is associated instead with the Church — and no pen of this age or type had previously been found — led Dr Comber to seek confirmation that the artefact could, indeed, have functioned as a writing tool.
Accordingly, she teamed up with experimental archaeologist Adam Parsons of Blueaxe Reproductions to fabricate a replica of the historical implement.
Dr Comber teamed up with experimental archaeologist Adam Parsons of Blueaxe Reproductions to fabricate a replica (pictured) of the historical implement — enabling the duo to demonstrate that the artefact would have worked perfectly as a dip pen
When put through its paces, the duo found that the modern duplicate does work — and its original counterpart would have worked — just perfectly as a dip pen.
These dip pens do not contain an ink reservoir, which is common with modern fountain pen models. Instead they must be regularly returned to the well to refill their supplies.
This in itself set the Caherconnell pen apart, as the more common writing implement in the 11th century would have been the feather quill.
Caherconnell, a preserved cashel or stone ringfort in County Clare, is located in the Burren region. It was found in a sedimentary layer dating back to the 11th Century.
According to expert calligrapher and historian Tim O’Neill, the design of the Caherconnell pen would have lent it well for use on fine work — perhaps even the drawing of fine lines.
“An early metal pen is difficult to credit,” Mr O’Neill stated.
The fact it works with ink can be seen. It would have worked well for ruling straight lines — to form, for instance, a frame for a page.’
The 140-foot-wide ringfort was built in the late 10th century and would have been home to wealthy — and, it seems, literate — local rulers until the early 1600s
What is THE BOOK OF KELLS?
To glorify Christ’s life, the Book of Kells manuscript was written by Irish monks in 800 AD.
The calfskin leaf decoration was adorned with detailed illustrations and Latin Calligraphy.
This book contains the Latin texts of all four Gospels, and every page except 2 is decorated with elaborate designs and symbol imagery.
In 800 AD, Irish monks created the Book of Kells manuscript to celebrate Christ’s life. It is considered the greatest artistic and cultural achievement of the Middle Ages.
According to some estimates, it could have taken up to 30 years for the entire team to complete.
It appears that the most decorated pages have been created by three different artists.
An island near Mull in west Scotland was home to a monastery that St Colum Cille founded on Iona around 561AD. This became the main house of an extensive monastic confederation.
After Viking raids had claimed the island, leaving 68 people dead, Columban monks sought refuge at a Kells monastery in County Meath.
The move may have been triggered by a smallpox outbreak that occurred in the monastic area during the second half of the ninth-century.
The manuscript survived for more than 700 years. It was only stolen once, which it was found with some pages missing and without its jewelled gold cover.
It arrived at Trinity College, Dublin in 1661 AD.
The Book of Kells was first started at a monastery on the on Iona, an island off western Scotland. After a Viking raid in 806 AD the monks moved from Iona to Kells (County Meath), Ireland. It was transferred to Trinity College, Dublin in 1661 AD.
First mention of this art work is in the Annals of Ulster below the year 1007 AD. It records that “the great Gospel Book of Columcille was stolen from Cenannus (Kells), during the night.”
The manuscript was sought after by an increasing number of scholars over the course of the twentieth century.
Trinity College granted Facsimile Verlag, Luzern (Switzerland) permission to take a photograph of the entire manuscript in 1986 and make a limited edition (1,480) of these copies.
Many of them are located in libraries all over the globe.