Aerial Archaeology in Ireland - The Heritage Council

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Figure 40: Gillian Barrett’s (1995) mapping of topography, cropmarks and locations in the Barrow valley at Dunmanoge, Co. Kildare While doing this on a national scale would be very time-consuming (with obvious complexities where multiple images are concerned), it is worth noting that a comprehensive approach to interpretative mapping has been adopted in England and elsewhere (Bewley 1995). So far, resources have not been available to make this feasible for general coverage of Ireland, but it is nevertheless particularly relevant for large areas earmarked (or generally suitable) for potential development such as urban expansion, roads, forestry or minerals. This will become increasingly important now that the EU Directive on Strategic Environmental Assessment (2001/42/EC) has come into force. While such interpretative mapping is better established at a project-specific level (e.g. roads, pipelines, peat extraction and other major linear and site-specific developments), this needs to be developed further. Both strategic and project-specific application of the methods and outcomes warrant further review and development — and funding — by national development agencies and associations such as the National Roads Authority, Forest Service, Bord Gáis, Bord na Móna, local planning authorities and the Concrete Federation, all of which have established Codes of Practice for dealing with archaeology. Within the research community, a range of approaches has been adopted for mapping results of aerial archaeology, both at a general level and more site-specific. Norman and St Joseph (1969) did not embark on this, but in the period since they first articulated the research potential of aerial archaeology in Ireland, several studies have been developing approaches to ways of converting photographic imagery into interpretive mapping or modelling (as outlined in Section 3.4). As discussed in the next section, such mapping has underpinned the use of aerial archaeology in a wide range of thematic and site-specific research projects. 75
76 4.2 Roles in Supporting Archaeological Research Research Frameworks The publication of archaeological research frameworks to guide new work is usually seen as a way of either reshaping ideas or giving them new impetus. This can be of value within a pure research context, as well as in projects carried out in response to development pressure. For example, the Irish urban surveys of the 1970s and 1980s were carried out in response to the need to address looming urban development pressures. Surveys such as these also acted as a wide review of the state of academic research in the subject. The Discovery Programme and the Heritage Council have provided other avenues through which thematic reviews of the state of archaeological research and potential for future work on various themes have been developed. Aerial archaeology has been important in some of these, although this has been somewhat variable, depending on the theme concerned (see below). Research Themes In their book, The early development of Irish society: the evidence of aerial photography, Norman and St Joseph (1969) deliberately set out to indicate how aerial archaeology could contribute to a number of research themes. These were divided between four broad chapter headings: Before the Celts, Iron Age Dwellings and Fields, Iron Age Defences, and Early Christian Sites. They also illustrated several other aspects of aerial archaeology, including later medieval sites, and post-medieval and industrial remains. From the late 1970s onwards, aerial photography has figured in a range of important archaeological research projects. Although it is probably fair to say that aerial archaeology has not in general been regarded as a mainstream feature of archaeological research, it has been a key aspect of much work that fits well within all the broad themes highlighted by Norman and St Joseph. Indeed, it extends beyond them, as in the following: • Multi-period ceremonial centres (Swan 1978; Condit 1993; Newman 1997; Hartwell 1991a, 1991b; Waddell 1983; Herity 1983, 1987, 1988; Burenhult 1980, Burenhult et al. 1984; Bergh 1995, 2002; Shell and Roughley 2004). • Late prehistoric settlement patterns (Gowen 1988; Doody 1993c, 1995, 1996). • Hillforts and settlement patterns (Condit et al. 1991; Condit and Gibbons 1991; Condit 1992; Condit 1995; Grogan 1993, 1996; Grogan et al. 1995). • Early medieval settlements and the origin of early medieval ecclesiastical and urban centres (Swan 1983, 1985; Murphy 1993). • Early medieval settlement and landscape change (Barrett 1980, 1982a and b, 1984, 1990, 1994, 1995a and b, 1997, 1999, 2002, and forthcoming a and b). • Medieval rural settlement (O’Conor 1998). • Field patterns and landscape change (Waddell 1983; Herity 1983, 1987, 1988; Kelleher 1995; Barrett 1995b, 1997, 1999; Shell and Roughley 2004). • Methodological approaches (Doody 1993a, 1993c, 1995, 1996, 2001; Kelleher 1995; Redfern 1998, 2002; Shell and Roughley 2004). It is inevitable that the effective use of aerial archaeology relies partly on an interactive process of enhancing interpretive approaches in the light of fieldwork results. Large projects in which aerial archaeology has played an important initial role tend
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A I R A N D E A R T H A E R I A L A
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© An Chomhairle Oidhreachta / The
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3.9 Integration with other Types of
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Figure 14: The Discovery Programme
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Figure 39: This vertical photograph
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10 Foreword One of the initiatives
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12 Acknowledgements It would not ha
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14 Key Priorities for Aerial Archae
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16 • A practical handbook in arch
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18 • A series of pilot studies co
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20 5. Any new strategy for reconnai
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22 As a means of discovering archae
Page 25 and 26: 24 Drawing on the work of O.G.S. Cr
Page 27 and 28: 26 2 PRINCIPAL SOURCES OF AIR PHOTO
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Page 31 and 32: 30 Other material held by the GSI i
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Page 35 and 36: 34 The aims and objectives of these
Page 37 and 38: 36 2.5 Private Collections Dr Daphn
Page 39 and 40: 38 2.6 Commercial Collections Two w
Page 41 and 42: 40 Figure 18: Google Earth satellit
Page 43 and 44: 42 3.2 Aerial Platforms The equipme
Page 45 and 46: 44 Figures 20 a-b: The use of ballo
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Page 49 and 50: 48 Figure 25: The cumulative impact
Page 51 and 52: 50 3.4 Conventional Photography: Di
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Page 59 and 60: 58 The fieldwork showed that the ge
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Page 63 and 64: 62 Both Kelleher (1995) and Redfern
Page 65 and 66: 64 Interpreting Chronology and Sequ
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Page 73 and 74: 72 Figures 38 a-b: Contrasts in urb
Page 75: 74 Roles and potential for historic
Page 79 and 80: 78 Figures 41 a-b: Gillian Barrett
Page 81 and 82: 80 The Archaeology of Lakes, Coast
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Page 87 and 88: 86 Roads The National Roads Authori
Page 89 and 90: 88 Pipelines The general principles
Page 91 and 92: 90 General Development Where there
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Page 97 and 98: 96 Designed Landscapes and Conserva
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Page 101 and 102: 100 Figure 55: Aerial photograph of
Page 103 and 104: 102 5 QUALITY, RESOURCES AND ORGANI
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Page 113 and 114: 112 Benson, D and Miles, D 1974. Th
Page 115 and 116: 114 Doody, M G, 1995. ‘Ballyhoura
Page 117 and 118: 116 Twohig and M. Ronayne (eds) Pas
Page 119 and 120: 118 Raftery, J, 1951. Prehistoric I
Page 121 and 122: 120 Colin Shell Cambridge Universit
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