Peatlands are exceptional environments for the preservation of unique and fragile archaeological remains. This publication is in the Our Historic Landscapes series and describes the remarkable cultural and environmental heritage of our peatlands.
This Ogham writing system or script was created for an early form of the Irish language. Our earliest ogham inscriptions on stone are approximately dated on linguistic grounds to between the 4th and the 7th century AD. Over 400 known examples of ogham stones and fragments of various shapes and sizes have survived, each with its own unique biography or story.
This publication provides a guide for farmers on how to recognise and protect important archaeology that may be on their land.
Read moreRead lessArchaeological monuments such as moated sites and ringforts are the former homesteads of previous farming communities. Farming has been a vital force in developing our heritage and modern non-intrusive farming practices continue to preserve and shape our historic landscapes. This valuable legacy is something we should try to understand, cherish and protect for ourselves and for future generations.
Information leaflet on the geology of Ireland.
Read moreRead lessWhilst the coast offers excellent opportunities to see all types of geology in cliff exposures, it also shows thegeomorphology – the development of different coastal landforms. The range of landforms produced is enormous, and they are all dynamic – the changes which occur within people’s lifetimes are extremely rapid compared to some geological changes.
This publication provides an overview of maritime archaeology from the Mesolithic period to the archaeology of the modern coastline.
Read moreRead lessIreland’s island story is written on its seashore. About ten thousand years ago, our first human
settlers – hunter-gatherers of the Mesolithic era - came here by boat. Since then, people have
lived, worked, travelled and buried their dead around Ireland’s coastal landscapes - using the
sea as a source of food, raw materials, as a means of travel and communications and as a place
to build communities.
The Discovery Programme: Centre for Archaeology and Innovation Ireland is an all-island centre for archaeology and heritage science.
Our Museum Standards Programme celebrated 10 years this year.
Revised edition of our Guidance for Community Archaeology Projects
The Heritage Council commissioned Mr George Lambrick to examine aerial archaeology in Ireland.
One of the initiatives identified by the Heritage Council’s Strategic Plan 2007-2013 is that archaeological research issues and practice in the widest sense should be more overtly and consistently identified and from time to time reviewed. These research issues should also engage more with what both specialists and local communities find interesting about the past. To contribute to this the Heritage Council commissioned Mr George Lambrick to examine aerial archaeology in Ireland. Aerial Archaeology is the practice of using aircraft (or in some cases satellites) to provide a high-level view of the landscape based on conventional photography and a range of remote sensing technologies. That review is presented here.