Bog buddies, just more tourist tat?

Archaeologists are used to the ethical questions involved with bog bodies.....but what about tourist tat?

An industrious company has set up to sell "Bog Buddies", little characters and motifs (men, women, sheep, hearts, shamrocks) carved from bog materials. Not a terrible idea considering the lack of enterprise following the recession, and the fact that tourists will buy anything. They look nice enough when framed, but really, there doesn't seem to be a great deal of skill in the carving, and certainly not enough to justify the €14 price tag for the smallest piece in the cheapest box, or €40 for a small framed heart. 

I also wonder if they really thought through the name "bog buddies" - did they actively seek association with millenia-old corpses?

Wild Hogs of Ireland

Archaeology field school places in high demand

It's no surprise that field school places are in high demand - smart students know that getting some field experience is worth its weight in gold and is the best way to land a job in commercial archaeology.

The Irish Times has reported that a County Clare field school has attracted three applicants for every place. This is bad news for the students that miss out but good news for those running the course.

The course helps fund research in the area, as part of the Caherconnell Archaeological Project.

Most of the applicants are from North America - the source of much funding for Masters and PhD programs in Ireland and the UK (as such students pay international fees - their contribution is tremendously important).