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Peatland Archaeology in Northern Ireland: an evaluation

Abstract A desk assessment has been carried out to identify archaeological sites and findspots in peatland locations in Northern Ireland, in order to estimate the potential for further archaeological fieldwork. Sites in or under blanket, raised, fen and marsh peat have been considered. The majority of sites have been identified from information contained in the Northern Ireland Sites and Monuments Record (NISMR). In addition, all NISMR site locations have been examined in relation to areas of extant peatland, enabling additional sites to be recognised. The Ordnance Survey Memoirs provide further details about sites and finds known from peatlands in the early 19th century. Museum and published catalogues have also been examined to estimate the quantity of finds recovered from peatlands. The combined sources suggest that there are more than 1,000 archaeological sites and 763 findspots currently known from Northern Ireland's peatlands. The majority of the sites are associated with blanket peat, reflecting the greater extent of this peat type in Northern Ireland and the prevalence of stone monuments there. Sites in raised bogs are less well known, tending to be of timber, and are possibly under-represented in the record. Other lowland peat types probably preserve a range of archaeological sites but survey has not yet been conducted in these environments in Northern Ireland.