Barry Raftery facts for kids

Barry Raftery (born August 16, 1944 – died August 22, 2010) was an Irish archaeologist and professor. He was famous for his important work studying ancient sites in wet areas (wetland archaeology). He also explored old hillforts from the Iron Age in Ireland. For over 30 years, he taught Celtic Archaeology at University College Dublin (UCD).

Early Life and Learning

Barry Joseph Raftery was born in Dublin, Ireland, on August 16, 1944. His father, Joseph, was also an archaeologist. He studied ancient Ireland and worked at the National Museum of Ireland.

Barry became interested in archaeology when he was ten. He spent two summers helping his father dig at Lough Gara. This early experience sparked his love for history.

He went to Belvedere College for high school. Later, he studied archaeology and geography at UCD. He earned his first degree in 1965. He also met his future wife, Nuala Sproule, there. Barry continued his studies, earning a master's degree in 1967. He finished his PhD in 1977 after ten more years of research.

A Career in Archaeology

From 1969 to 1970, Raftery taught about ancient European history. He was a visiting professor at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. He traveled across Europe, visiting museums and dig sites. This helped him learn more about the European Iron Age.

In 1970, he started teaching archaeology at UCD. During the 1970s, he focused on hillforts in Ireland. His biggest project was digging at Rathgall Hillfort in County Wicklow. In 1981, he received a special research award. This allowed him to spend two years at the University of Marburg.

Discovering Ancient Wetlands

In the 1980s, Raftery became very interested in wetland archaeology. This means studying old sites found in bogs or wet areas. In 1985, he started a new research program at UCD. It focused on ancient Irish wetland sites.

His first project looked at old wooden paths called trackways. These were found in raised bogs in Ireland. His most important discovery was the huge Corlea Trackway. This Iron Age trackway was found in County Longford.

Raftery helped create the Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit (IAWU) at UCD in 1990. He led another dig at the Corlea site in 1991. His team successfully lifted and saved a large part of the ancient track. This was the biggest conservation project in Ireland at that time.

Books and Teaching

In 1994, Raftery published a very important book. It was called Pagan Celtic Ireland: The Enigma of the Irish Iron Age. This book shared many of his findings and ideas.

He was a visiting professor at other universities too. These included Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Kiel University, and the University of Vienna. In 1996, he became the head of Celtic Archaeology at UCD. Barry Raftery retired from teaching in 2007.

Selected Publications

• Pagan Celtic Ireland: The Enigma of the Iron Age