Medieval Ink Pen Discovery Reveals Surprising Literacy in Ireland
Discovery of the Oldest Known Ink Pen in Ireland
Archaeologists excavating a medieval stone fort in western Ireland have made a groundbreaking discovery – the oldest known ink pen ever found in the country. The writing tool, crafted from a hollow bone barrel with a copper-alloy point (nib), was unearthed in an 11th-century layer of sediment at Caherconnell Cashel in County Clare.
Significance of the Pen
The discovery is significant because literacy in Ireland was generally associated with the Christian church during this period. However, the pen was found in a secular setting, suggesting that literacy may have been more widespread than previously believed.
Construction and Use of the Pen
The pen’s construction is distinct from the feather quills commonly used by literate individuals in medieval Europe. Historian and calligrapher Tim O’Neill suggests that it may have been used for drawing fine lines, such as ruling straight lines to frame a page.
Evidence of Secular Literacy
Other discoveries made at the fort, such as evidence of fine craftworking, metalwork, games, and music, support the theory that the pen was used for secular purposes. Researchers believe it may have been used to record family lineages and trade transactions.
Comparison to Other Pens
While the artifact is the earliest complete example of a composite pen found in the British Isles, researchers have knowledge of both older and more recent related designs. During the Roman occupation of Britain, people sometimes used pens made entirely of a copper alloy. In England, archaeologists have also found both copper-alloy nibs without bone barrels and vice versa, typically dating to between the 13th and 16th centuries.
Testing the Pen’s Functionality
To determine whether the artifact could have actually been used for writing, archaeologist Adam Parsons of Blueaxe Reproductions constructed a replica. Testing confirmed that the object would have worked as a dip pen.
Historical Context: Monastic Literacy in Ireland
In early medieval Ireland, writing was an essential aspect of monastic life. Scribes, trained by copying their mentors’ work, inscribed words into wax tablets with a metal stylus. Eventually, scribes graduated to pen and parchment, using feather quills to copy existing devotional texts or author their own.
Uncovering the Burren’s Past
Caherconnell Cashel is part of a region known as the Burren along Ireland’s western coast. Excavations at the site have uncovered not only remnants of the medieval settlement but also artifacts dated to as far back as the Neolithic period. These discoveries are providing valuable insights into the development of life in a part of Ireland largely unaffected by intrusive groups such as the Vikings and Anglo-Normans.
Ongoing Research and Future Discoveries
Archaeology Ireland magazine published a full account of the pen’s discovery in its winter 2021 issue. Researchers continue to study the artifact and the site of Caherconnell Cashel, hoping to uncover further evidence of the surprisingly advanced literacy in 11th-century Ireland.