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Action 15. Peatland Archaeological Heritage

Peatland archaeological heritage is a non-renewable cultural and scientific resource of great importance, that requires careful and responsible management (Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands 1999a and 1999b). This heritage is protected by law under the National Monuments Acts (1930, 1953, 1987 & 1994). Sites of archaeological importance are identified as Recorded Monuments under the Acts (formerly Sites and Recorded Monuments).

Under the Acts, Dúchas the Heritage Service have a brief to compile an inventory of monuments, produce maps showing their location, protect such areas and make this information available on a county basis. Under the Acts developers must give written notice of developments affecting archaeological sites and Dúchas have two months in which to resolve any relevant issues (Lynch 1998).

The importance of the National Monuments Acts is that they give statutory protection to those Recorded Monuments that occur in peatland areas, that may or may not be listed as Natural Heritage Areas.

Since the establishment of the Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit in 1990, the unit has surveyed 25% of the 85,000ha of raised bog owned by Bord na Móna. The IAWU focused on these peatlands as their archaeology is under major threat from industrial development. From 1991 to 1997, the IAWU identified 2,042 archaeological sites within peatlands, and predict that this will rise to 10,000 by the completion of the survey. The majority of the sites identified are wooden roadways or 'toghers' which vary greatly in construction, size, length and age. The IAWU have published four volumes of information on excavated sites in raised bogs (Moloney 1993a, 1993b, 1995 and Raftery 1996). A considerable range of archaeological artefacts have also been recovered and these are being protected by the National Museum of Ireland (McDermott 1998), who have recently set up a wetland database which includes artefacts recovered by the IAWU (Kelly pers comm.).

To date only a small number of the 2,042 archaeological sites within Bord na Móna peatlands have been excavated or declared as Recorded Monuments by the National Monuments and Historic Properties Service of Dúchas. A liaison committee has been formed between Bord na Móna and Dúchas to evaluate the information provided by the IAWU on the sites found, to select sites for designation as Recorded Monuments and to prepare management plans for their conservation. IPCC are concerned that no target has been set for the conservation in situ of the most important wetland archaeological sites in peat deposits. In addition, adequate research into sites scheduled for development is not being undertaken. We are also concerned that management plans are urgently required for those peatland sites of archaeological importance that are designated as Recorded Monuments, to ensure their adequate protection from commercial extraction. We also note that the last published volume of the work of the IAWU was in 1996, suggesting that the IAWU are being given insufficient resources to publish their work.

IPCC are also concerned that the National Museum's Wetland database of artefacts recovered from bogs and fens is not being adequately consulted during the pre-planning stages of proposed developments on peatlands. Undertaking a search of the database would provide a good indication of the likelihood of encountering archaeological finds on a proposed development site. Depending on the search results this would allow additional archaeological controls to be requested by the planning authorities.

General Objective
To establish a network of peatland sites which will conserve a representative sample of archaeological sites and monuments in situ and to ensure adequate recording of sites lost due to development.

IPCC liaise with the IAWU and Dúchas (National Monuments and Historic Properties Service) on the issue of peatland archaeology. We have undertaken considerable cross-referencing of the archeological record with the peatland natural heritage areas. This information is also held in IPCC's peatland sites database.

Actions
3.15.1 All field surveys of sites and recorded monuments occurring within peatlands should be completed and the sites designated as Recorded Monuments without delay.

3.15.2 Recorded Monuments data should be correlated with NHA data, so as to give a complete picture of the heritage value of each peatland area.

3.15.3 Archaeological surveys of the uplands should be undertaken as these sites may be under-represented in the Recorded Monuments data.

3.15.4 Where archaeological sites have to be removed from peatlands due to development, it is essential that appropriate archaeological excavation and recording takes place.

3.15.5 EIA's should involve carrying out archaeological assessment including, where appropriate, test excavation.

3.15.6 For sites declared Recorded Monuments within peatlands, it is essential that detailed management plans to protect the archaeological heritage are published.

3.15.7 A series of criteria should be established by Dúchas, in liaison with all interest groups, to select peatlands for conservation based on their archaeological importance.

3.15.8 A programme of research should be undertaken to establish the context of the archaeological finds in peatlands and their relationship to the broader landscape.

3.15.9 Increased resources should be made available to the IAWU to publish site inventories, undertake detailed excavations and to survey peatlands outside the ownership of Bord na Móna.

3.5.10 As part of the planning process developers proposing work on peatlands should be obliged to consult the National Museum's Wetland Database to gauge the likelihood of encountering archaeological materials on the site.

3.5.11 On peatlands being developed, there should be on-going surveys and site recording by archaeologists.

Find out more: Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit, Department of Archaeology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. Tel. +353-1-7068729 web: http://www.ucd.ie/~archdata/IAWU.html