Aerial Archaeology in Ireland - The Heritage Council

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The Heritage Council has grant-aided Markus Casey to carry out specific aerial reconnaissance of coastal promontory forts as one of the types of major archaeological site most at threat from coastal erosion (Figures 2, 37, 54). Between 2001 and 2003, this survey covered the coast in the following areas: Donegal, Antrim, Wicklow, Wexford, Waterford; East Cork (in Casey 2001); West Cork and Kerry (Casey 2002); Dublin, Iveragh. and Cork (Casey 2003). Figures 54 a-b: Detailed aerial photography of costal promontory forts has recorded their surviving condition in relation to natural erosion (Markus Casey) a: A promontory fort at Lisheencankeragh in Meenogahane, Co. Kerry, has suffered from severe coastal erosion, with only a small part of the interior remaining b: An eroding ringfort at Doon West, Co. Kerry, backs on to steep cliffs to the north of Ballybunion Together with other initiatives such as the Discovery Programme’s work (O’Sullivan 2002) and the inshore lidar survey being commissioned by the GSI and the Marine Institute (Sections 2.2 and 3.4), along with the increasing coverage of relatively high resolution satellite imagery provided by Google Earth, these resources and projects offer a significant body of material from which to develop the beginnings of a coastal archaeological strategy. 4.5 Potential for Inter-disciplinary Integration In Irish archaeology as in Britain, there is a long tradition of close collaboration between archaeologists and aerial photography carried out by other specialists — first the military, then OSi, and then State heritage services. Recently, the potential of making better use of more specialist forms of remote sensing has begun to be recognised. Archaeologists have become more aware of the potential application of techniques such as lidar, and of the resources already being developed for other purposes by bodies such as the OSi, GSI and the Marine Institute. There is a long tradition of archaeologists using vertical photography which was taken for other purposes. This continues to be a valuable way of checking current land use (and hence the potential condition) of known sites and of identifying previously unknown ones. However, it tends to be somewhat hit-and-miss whether vertical photography is taken in ideal conditions for archaeological purposes, except where specially commissioned by archaeologists (e.g. Gowen 1988 1:5,000 cover; Doody 1993c). There is not always much scope for integrating all archaeological requirements with other needs. Because archaeology tends to require high quality in resolution of detail, especially in respect of low-to-medium-level vertical stereoscopic coverage, a strong argument suggests that timing of surveys to achieve high-quality imagery for archaeology will also maximise utility for other purposes. In purely practical terms, this is often hard to achieve as these considerations are seldom critical to the paying client. Where vertical photography is commissioned, there is an increasing case for archaeology to be considered which serves a number of purposes, including environmental protection, as with road schemes, strategic development planning and agri-environment planning and monitoring. Most respondents recognised the value of this and considered that more integration should be developed. Several, however, pointed to a number of practical and institutional hurdles that would need to be overcome by 97
98 showing the clear benefits of integration to the commissioning body. Requirements for Strategic Environmental Assessment could become a catalyst for encouraging better strategic integration of multi-purpose survey. Phase 2 of the Irish National Seabed Survey being undertaken by the GSI and the Marine Institute is a good recent example of the integration of archaeology into other surveys. Building on collaborations already explored in Phase 1, the survey will be targeting key bays and priority areas around Ireland as selected after intensive consultation through the various stakeholders, including the Underwater Archaeology Unit of DoEHLG. Within the priority bays are areas that have high archaeological potential (i.e. piers, harbours, fish traps and wreck sites). Airborne lidar has been selected as the preferable tool for mapping these inshore areas. Although there is widespread recognition of the inter-disciplinary values of aerial photography and remote sensing, it appears that archaeology and heritage practitioners have had rather little involvement in the work of the Irish Society of Surveying, Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. 22 Founded in 1968, the ISSPRS is a learned society established to further the development of surveying and mapping related disciplines in Ireland, and acting as a key body to promote, facilitate and encourage interdisciplinary interest in these areas. 4.6 Access and Publications Access to Aerial Photography It is clear that accessibility is a key factor influencing the use of aerial photography. The small scale of the GSI vertical coverage is widely quoted as a serious limitation on its archaeological value. Reported in several publications that have clearly demonstrated this limitation (Gowen 1988; Doody 1993a, 2001), this collection is most frequently quoted as the key source, and archaeologists are by far the most numerous users. It seems almost certain that if the more extensive and varied collections held by the OSi (much of which is also held as copies within NMS) were as easily accessible, the GSI collection would hardly be used at all. This issue is not unique to the GSI and OSi collections, as indicated in the comments on accessibility of aerial archaeology collections outlined in Section 2. This shows that accessibility is very often a more critical factor in determining what aerial imagery is used, rather than the general quality and usefulness of images held in different collections. The issue of accessibility is thus fundamental to determining whether, beyond the limits of specialist research projects, the value of aerial imagery is likely to be fully appreciated or used, especially in relation to the time and cost constraints that often apply to development-led archaeology. Publications The use of air photography as a means of analysing and conveying the results of research, particularly in academic papers and monographs, is clearly dependent on how far it was used as part of the research methodology. Numerous works referred to in this study can be examined to appreciate such usage. Norman and St Joseph (1969) noted, with some disappointment, that Raftery (1951) included only four aerial photographs in his Prehistoric Ireland, and Ó’Ríordáin (1964) included only eight in the 4th edition of Antiquities of the Irish Countryside. One might expect that, since then, the impact of the work of St Joseph and others would have made a difference. But the use of aerial photography in textbooks and other monographs providing an overview of research is quite variable. For example, while Mytum (1992) included nine aerial photographs in The Origins of Early Medieval Ireland and thematic research reviews by the Discovery Programme make copious use of them (O’Conor 1998; O’Sullivan 1998), Waddell (1998) includes only one air photograph in The Prehistoric Archaeology of Ireland. Cooney (2000) includes only three in his Landscapes of Neolithic Ireland. Yet these authors clearly not only appreciate, but also make much use of, what aerial archaeology has contributed to the understanding of prehistoric archaeology at a landscape scale, as is evident from these works and other research publications (e.g. Waddell 22 http://www.surveyireland.ie/about.html
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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
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24 Drawing on the work of O.G.S. Cr
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26 2 PRINCIPAL SOURCES OF AIR PHOTO
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28 National Museum of Ireland While
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30 Other material held by the GSI i
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32 Figure 9: An infrared vertical i
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34 The aims and objectives of these
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36 2.5 Private Collections Dr Daphn
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38 2.6 Commercial Collections Two w
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40 Figure 18: Google Earth satellit
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42 3.2 Aerial Platforms The equipme
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44 Figures 20 a-b: The use of ballo
Page 47 and 48: 46 Figure 23: The true form of the
Page 49 and 50: 48 Figure 25: The cumulative impact
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Page 55 and 56: 54 Metrical Survey As Doody observe
Page 57 and 58: 56 shoreline and topography (ground
Page 59 and 60: 58 The fieldwork showed that the ge
Page 61 and 62: 60 Sonar Bathymetry Although there
Page 63 and 64: 62 Both Kelleher (1995) and Redfern
Page 65 and 66: 64 Interpreting Chronology and Sequ
Page 67 and 68: 66 While the Archaeological Survey
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Page 75 and 76: 74 Roles and potential for historic
Page 77 and 78: 76 4.2 Roles in Supporting Archaeol
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Page 81 and 82: 80 The Archaeology of Lakes, Coast
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Page 85 and 86: 84 Figure 45: Drumlin landscape nea
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
Page 93 and 94: 92 ‘…numerous sites in pasture
Page 95 and 96: 94 • • Earthen monuments are co
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Page 103 and 104: 102 5 QUALITY, RESOURCES AND ORGANI
Page 105 and 106: 104 Estimates of costs per site or
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Page 109 and 110: 108 6 TEACHING AND TRAINING 6.1 Cov
Page 111 and 112: 110 6.2 Other Provisions for Traini
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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