The Discovery Programme63 Merrion Square South, Dublin 2

t. +353 (0) 1 639 3039 f. +353 (0) 1 639 3710e. info@discoveryprogramme.ie

www.discoveryprogramme.ie

The Discovery Programme is funded by The Heritage Council

Cover: Survey work undertaken at Temple na Skellig, Glendalough, Co. Wicklow

Professor Terence BarryChairman

Message from the Chairman

Along with many other institutions involved in archaeological research and the heritage sector,The Discovery Programme’s funding allocationremained stagnant/reduced further by [30%]. The repercussion of such financial constraints is that thereis less funding available to recruit researchers for project teams and also for fieldwork, potential excavations andto publish results. In such circumstances, The Discovery Programme has looked to alternatives and has been reasonably successful in continuing its activities, and in some instances expanding areas of research in 2012.

Key to maintaining a strong presence in archaeological research has been the success of the IT and Surveying Unit in obtaining funds through EU Co-funded projects and the capacity by all Discovery Programme researchers to interest other institutions in Ireland and elsewhere in collaborative projects. The EU Co-funded projects ArcLand, 3D-Icons, ARIADNE and LoCloud are based on the initiatives of extensive trans-national networks sharing their expertize and working towards providing easily accessible information on major European portals such as EUROPEANA, the EU’s cultural portal.

While this funding is very necessary and the work being undertaken very innovative, it should be noted inpassing that EU Co-funded projects add a considerable administrative and financial burden on small organizations such as The Discovery Programme, and that a welcome step regarding EU programmes is the likelihood that they will be fully funded under the future Horizon 2020 programme. In the meantime, these programmes provide The Discovery Programme an opportunity to greatly enhance its reputation in international fora and to enrich its research through contact with other similar institutionsthroughout Europe.

The design and commencement of an initial 18-month research project Late Iron Age and ‘Roman’ Ireland injected new momentum into The Discovery Programme’s development. Apart from opening up research on a new era in Irish pre history, the LIARI research team’s activities in 2012 extended the organization’s survey of Ireland’s archaeological and historical landscape through geophysical and other remote sensing techniques.

A particularly significant step was the decision to explore the use of modern scientific techniques in archaeology and in particular to conduct strontium and oxygen analysis on human and faunal skeletal remains in the hope that new evidence can be deduced regardingthe mobility and migration of people and animals in Ireland during that period. This again has resultedfrom close collaboration with the University of Bristol,Dr Elizabeth O’Brien, INSTAR ‘Mapping Death’ project and the National Museum of Ireland.

1. General Review 2012

2. Discovery Programme Projects 1. The Late Iron Age and ‘Roman’ Ireland (LIARI) Project

2. EU Co-funded Projects

3. Funding Applications

4. Project Support

5. Environmental Projects

6. Inventory Projects

3. Publications and Conferences 2012

4. Discovery Programme Personnel and Meetings

5. Financial Statements

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Contents Pages 1.GENERAL REVIEW 2012

Lia Faíl, Hill of Tara, being laser scanned following damage caused by vandalism

Continuation of 3D Icons survey to coincide with public outreachfor Heritage Week 2012.

The Late Iron and ‘Roman’ Ireland (LIARI) project began its detailed work under the guidance of its Director, Dr Jacqueline Cahill Wilson supported by Dr Ger Dowling, Ms Michael Ann Bevivino and Ms Philippa Barry. A number of research strands were initiated and collaboration with other institutions were organized. Two important data collection projects formed a priority for the LIARI team: one involved data on excavated sites and features securely dated to c.400BC-AD600, the second to artefacts from securely dated contexts. Landscape investigations were undertaken at Drumanagh promontory fort and on Lambay, an island off north Dublin coast opposite Drumanagh. In collaboration with the University of Bristol and with Dr Elizabeth O’Brien, Post Doctoral Researcher for the INSTAR ‘Mapping Death’ project, suitable samples of human and faunal skeletal remains from past archaeological excavations and museum collections were prepared for scientific analysis using strontium and isotope analysis. This analysis is aimed at informing one of LIARI’s research strands relating to mobility and migration in the particular period. An environmental project involving collaboration with a team from NUI Galway concentrated on Lough Lugh on the Hill of Uisneach, Co. Westmeath. In addition, a successful international conference entitled ‘Ireland in a Roman World’ was held in Trinity College Dublin, 21-2 October 2012. Speakers from Britain, the Continent, the U.S. and Europe addressed various aspects on a common theme of crossing boundaries in the Roman Iron Age and Late Antiquity.

The Discovery Programme’s IT and Surveying Unit was particularly successful in 2012 in continuing work on existing EU Co-funded projects and also in being part of further successful networks. The ArcLand network encourages the use of aerial survey and remote sensing throughout Europe in order to further archaeological research, to assist in conservation projects and to increase public enjoyment of Europe’s archaeological heritage. Activities in 2012 included supervision of interns, a field school on the Hill of Slane, Co. Meath and participation in the Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF) in Dublin in July 2012.

The 3D-Icons EU Co-funded project aims at producing 3D models and reconstructions of UNESCO World Heritage monuments and other monuments of outstanding value across Europe.

General Review 2012

2012 was marked by some significant changes in The Discovery Programme. Dr Brian Lacey who led the organization as CEO since 1998 and made a huge contribution to its development in that time resigned in April 2012. Mr Anthony Corns, Head of theIT and Surveying Unit, assumed the role of Acting CEO.

These high-quality 3D models will be made available on EUROPEANA, the EU’s cultural portal. It is anticipated that The Discovery Programme will capture and model over 80 iconic sites from Ireland. In 2012 a series of important sites were documented including Poulnabrone portal tomb,Co. Clare, Derry City walls and the monastic city at Glendalough, Co. Wicklow.

The Discovery Programme as a partner in trans-European networks was successful in gaining EU funding for two further projects. ARIADNE (the ‘Advanced Research Infrastructure for Archaeological Dataset Networking in Europe’) aims to bring together and integrate existing archaeological research database infrastructures so that researchers can avail of extensive, and often inaccessible, archaeological data sets throughout Europe. The Discovery Programme will act as the ARIADNE hub for Ireland. LoCloud will also be a vehicle for enabling heritage organizations, and in particular small and medium-sized institutions, to make their collections available digitally through EUROPEANA by using cloud technologies. The project will commence in 2013. Among the other activities undertaken by the IT and Surveying Unit were participation in the LIARI landscape surveys and a collaborative project with the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (National Monuments Service) on the Ogham in 3D project. The latter involved providing technical assistance in field collection and the processing of high definition 3D models of ogham stones throughout Ireland.

Two environmental science events were organized byThe Discovery Programme collaboratively with other institutions. These included the organization of two environmental science conferences, ‘Climate, environment, settlement and society: changing historic patterns in Ireland’ (All Hallows College, Dublin, 24-6 February 2012) and ‘Cereal cultivation in the past: signals from historical, archaeological and landscape sources’ (Trinity College Dublin Longroom Hub, 8 November 2013). In addition, work continued on digitising and creating an inventory of the Leo Swan aerial photographic collection in collaboration with the National Museum of Ireland.

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Point cloud data showing some of the megalithic art within theinterior of Loughcrew Cairn T

1. The Late Iron Age and

‘Roman’ Ireland (LIARI) Project

2. EU Co-funded Projects

3. Funding Applications

4. Projects Support

5. Environmental Projects

6. Inventory Projects

2.DISCOVERY PROGRAMMEPROJECTS

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LIARI project visit to Lambay, Co. Dublin

2.1 The Late Iron Age and ‘Roman’ Ireland(LIARI) Project

• Dr Jacqueline Cahill Wilson, Dr Ger Dowling, • Ms Michael Ann Bevivino

Overview of Research 2012

The research design and methodology for the initial 18-month project was submitted and agreed by the Directorate at its meeting in March. Following recommendations made at the LIARI workshops in November 2011 the team sought to further these discussions with colleagues in Ireland (north and south) and Britain and agreed an outline of new collaborative research. The team benefited greatly from the appointment of a dedicated research assistant in April and also the appointment of a JobBridge intern in July. Licenses were submitted for targeted geophysical surveys (discussed below). In collaboration with Dr Roseanne Schot and colleagues at NUI Galway, a sediment core was extracted for scientific analysis from Lough Lugh on the Hill of Uisneach, Co. Westmeath. Our partnership with Dr Elizabeth O’Brien, Post Doctoral Researcher ‘Mapping Death’ project, and colleagues at the University of Bristol continued with the identification of suitable samples of both human and faunal skeletal material from past archaeological excavations and museum collections.This scientific element of the project is in keeping with our research into mobility and migration in this period and licenses were submitted to the National Museum of Ireland to conduct analysis at the University of Bristol using strontium and oxygen isotope analysis.

Ireland in a Roman World Conference, Trinity College Dublin 21–22 October 2012

A very successful international interdisciplinary conference was organized by the LIARI project team for The Discovery Programme in October of 2012. Speakers from Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, Denmark and the USA gave papers on a wide range of topics with a common theme of crossing boundaries in the Roman Iron Age and Late Antiquity. The convivial and stimulating nature of the discussions throughout the conference weekend led to several important collaborations with colleagues working at institutions outside Ireland.

LIARI Database (Archaeological Excavations)

The collation of all available archaeological data relating to the period under investigation was a priority for 2012, with the aim of generating a comprehensive dataset for archaeological analysis. Relevant information amassed as part of a review of the archaeological literature produced up to, and including, 2012 was entered into a master database, which will form the basis for identifying and analysing significant patterns and trends during the late Iron Age, as well as facilitating the production of detailed distribution maps.

Priority has been given to excavated sites and features that have yielded absolute dates of the period c.400BC–AD600, and associated artefacts from securely-dated contexts.The wide date range of archaeological evidence being considered reflects the need to characterize and assess developments during the first five centuries AD within a broader chronological and cultural framework.

Landscape Investigations and Geophysical Survey

As well as collating and assessing the existing archaeological evidence of the period, LIARI also initiated a new programme of fieldwork aimed at investigating a range of sites and landscapes that are known to have been important foci for activity during the late Iron Age.The first phase of fieldwork is focused on the coastal landscape of north Co. Dublin, a region also notable for its dense concentration of Roman and Romano-British material. A dedicated campaign of geophysical survey and landscape analysis was launched in January in the hinterland of the large coastal promontory fort at Drumanagh (Figure 1), a site suspected by many to have served as an important entrepôt or port-of-trade linking the Dublin-Meath region with Roman Britain. Following investigations at five separate locations in the Drumanagh-Loughshinny landscape, which revealed a wealth of significant but previously unrecorded archaeological sites (Figures 2 and 3), geophysical survey commenced at Drumanagh fort in December and will no doubt yield further important discoveries as work progresses in the new year.

A new campaign of geophysical survey was also conducted on Lambay Island in August, in collaboration with Professor Gabriel Cooney (UCD). Lying only 4km from the coast and clearly visible from Drumanagh, Lambay is of considerable interest to LIARI due to the discovery there of a number of late Iron Age burials associated with British and Roman material, and the presence of two promontory forts, on the northern and north-western tips of the island respectively. Geophysical investigations at these and other surrounding locations have revealed additional features of interest which open up exciting new avenues for archaeological interpretation and research.

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2.1DISCOVERY PROGRAMMEPROJECTS

The Late Iron Age and ‘Roman Ireland (LIARI)

2.1 The Late Iron Age and ‘Roman’ Ireland(LIARI) Project

• Dr Jacqueline Cahill Wilson, Dr Ger Dowling, • Ms Michael Ann Bevivino

Overview of Research 2012

The research design and methodology for the initial 18-month project was submitted and agreed by the Directorate at its meeting in March. Following recommendations made at the LIARI workshops in November 2011 the team sought to further these discussions with colleagues in Ireland (north and south) and Britain and agreed an outline of new collaborative research. The team benefited greatly from the appointment of a dedicated research assistant in April and also the appointment of a JobBridge intern in July. Licenses were submitted for targeted geophysical surveys (discussed below). In collaboration with Dr Roseanne Schot and colleagues at NUI Galway, a sediment core was extracted for scientific analysis from Lough Lugh on the Hill of Uisneach, Co. Westmeath. Our partnership with Dr Elizabeth O’Brien, Post Doctoral Researcher ‘Mapping Death’ project, and colleagues at the University of Bristol continued with the identification of suitable samples of both human and faunal skeletal material from past archaeological excavations and museum collections.This scientific element of the project is in keeping with our research into mobility and migration in this period and licenses were submitted to the National Museum of Ireland to conduct analysis at the University of Bristol using strontium and oxygen isotope analysis.

Ireland in a Roman World Conference, Trinity College Dublin 21–22 October 2012

A very successful international interdisciplinary conference was organized by the LIARI project team for The Discovery Programme in October of 2012. Speakers from Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, Denmark and the USA gave papers on a wide range of topics with a common theme of crossing boundaries in the Roman Iron Age and Late Antiquity. The convivial and stimulating nature of the discussions throughout the conference weekend led to several important collaborations with colleagues working at institutions outside Ireland.

LIARI Database (Archaeological Excavations)

The collation of all available archaeological data relating to the period under investigation was a priority for 2012, with the aim of generating a comprehensive dataset for archaeological analysis. Relevant information amassed as part of a review of the archaeological literature produced up to, and including, 2012 was entered into a master database, which will form the basis for identifying and analysing significant patterns and trends during the late Iron Age, as well as facilitating the production of detailed distribution maps.

Priority has been given to excavated sites and features that have yielded absolute dates of the period c.400BC–AD600, and associated artefacts from securely-dated contexts.The wide date range of archaeological evidence being considered reflects the need to characterize and assess developments during the first five centuries AD within a broader chronological and cultural framework.

Landscape Investigations and Geophysical Survey

As well as collating and assessing the existing archaeological evidence of the period, LIARI also initiated a new programme of fieldwork aimed at investigating a range of sites and landscapes that are known to have been important foci for activity during the late Iron Age.The first phase of fieldwork is focused on the coastal landscape of north Co. Dublin, a region also notable for its dense concentration of Roman and Romano-British material. A dedicated campaign of geophysical survey and landscape analysis was launched in January in the hinterland of the large coastal promontory fort at Drumanagh (Figure 1), a site suspected by many to have served as an important entrepôt or port-of-trade linking the Dublin-Meath region with Roman Britain. Following investigations at five separate locations in the Drumanagh-Loughshinny landscape, which revealed a wealth of significant but previously unrecorded archaeological sites (Figures 2 and 3), geophysical survey commenced at Drumanagh fort in December and will no doubt yield further important discoveries as work progresses in the new year.

A new campaign of geophysical survey was also conducted on Lambay Island in August, in collaboration with Professor Gabriel Cooney (UCD). Lying only 4km from the coast and clearly visible from Drumanagh, Lambay is of considerable interest to LIARI due to the discovery there of a number of late Iron Age burials associated with British and Roman material, and the presence of two promontory forts, on the northern and north-western tips of the island respectively. Geophysical investigations at these and other surrounding locations have revealed additional features of interest which open up exciting new avenues for archaeological interpretation and research.

Figure 1: LiDAR map of Drumanagh promontory fort (data courtesy of Fingal County Council).

Figure 3: Geophysical survey in Blackland townland, some 2km north-west of Drumanagh, revealed evidence of extensive, multi-phase activity, with major features including a settlement and field systems of possible early medieval date.

Figure 2: Results of gradiometer survey showing a ring-ditch cemetery on the summit of Popeshall Hill, which overlooks Drumanagh to the north.

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TO BE UPDATED WITH HIGH RES IMAGE

Programming the Faro Focus 3D scanner, Moran's Mill, County Mayo

2.2 EU Co-funded Projects

• Anthony Corns, Robert Shaw and Gary Devlin

Arcland

During 2012, the EU Co-Funded project ArcLand moved into its third year of research. The objective of the Arcland network is to encourage the use of aerial survey and 'remote sensing' throughout Europe - to promote understanding, conservation and public enjoyment of the shared landscape and archaeological heritage of the countries of the European Union. Important activities that took place during 2012, included:

• The provision of an intern placement for PhD student Lukasz Banaszek from Adam Mickiewicz University (Poznan), Poland over a 6 week period. His time with the Technology Unit staff enabled him to develop his skills for the application of LiDAR data to understanding archaeological landscapes. In addition to developing his GIS skills Lukasz accompanied the Technology Unit staff into the field to carry out terrestrial laser scan surveys including the laser scan survey of Poulnabrone portal tomb in Co. Clare.

• The organization of a session at the Computer Applications in Archaeology conference in Southampton, UK. The session explored the theme of reusing and sharing geospatial data within the archaeological research community.

• A field survey school at the Hill of Slane was organized in conjunction with Kevin Barton (Landscape & Geophysical Services) and Conor Brady (Dundalk IT). During the week long field school, from 9-13 April, fifteen students from across Europe and further afield had practical and classroom tuition on the use of many archaeological survey techniques, including: magnetic gradiometer, resistivity surveys, GPR, terrestrial laser scanning, close range scanning, kite photography and topographic survey.

• The Discovery Programme participated in Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF) in Dublin, co-ordinating an oral session. This session aimed to bring the fascinating archaeological discoveries revealed through the application of remote sensing to a wider audience. Following the session the German publication Spegiel Online (hwww.spiegel.de) published an article with content provided by The Discovery Programme and other ArcLand partners entitled “Revolutionizing Archaeology: Flying Lasers Reveal Buried Historical Structures”

• Preparations began for a major international exhibition to be launched in Dublin in May 2013 with the collation and preliminary assessment of material from Arcland partners. A technical meeting was hosted in Dublin to discuss the editorial, design and production issues for the exhibition, and at the meeting the exhibition title “Traces of the Past” was chosen.

3D-Icons

3D-ICONS is a 3 year EU Co-funded project which will focus on the 3D documentation of UNESCO World Heritage monuments and other monuments of outstanding value at European level. The digital content will include 3D models and reconstructions, enlarged models of important details, images, texts, videos. It will also include and re-contextualize in 3D, objects belonging to a monument but presently located elsewhere (e.g. in a museum). The project's activities will include both new digitization as well as the conversion of some existing 3D data into formats which are accessible for users. The project's anticipated impact is to make accessible through the EUROPEANA website an unprecedented quantity of high-quality, 3D models; presenting well-organized and attractive information about the masterpieces of European architecture and archaeology.

Within Ireland the 3D-ICONS project activities are being carried out by The Discovery Programme. Over the following three years The Discovery Programme’s Technology Unit staff will capture and model in 3D over 80 iconic Irish monuments and artefacts to millimeter accuracy using an assortment of technologies including: laser scanning and photogrammetry. Once created 3D models can be used for a range of heritage activities, including:

• Scholary research • Visualization & virtual reconstruction • Tourism & promotion • Conservation & management

Cultural heritage assets are unique and irreplaceable in their tangible form of historic buildings, sites and artefacts; aswell as in their intangible value, which includes history, collective memory and identity. It is paramount that all efforts should be made to preserve cultural heritage in allits forms, ensuring its security for future generations andto maximize the potential economic benefits for tourism and the creative industries.

The sites documented in 2012 include:

• Poulnabrone portal tomb • Derry city walls • Glendalough monastic city • Loughcrew passage tomb • Staigue stone fort • Cahergal stone fort • Drumbeg stone circle • Gallarus Oratory • Lia Fáil, Hill of Tara

2.2DISCOVERY PROGRAMMEPROJECTS

EU Co-funded Projects

Cahergal stone fort, Co. Kerry

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2.3DISCOVERY PROGRAMMEPROJECTS

Funding Applications

2.3 Funding Applications

During 2012, several EU funding applications were submitted for a range of calls within the Framework Programme 7 funding cycle, including:

ARIADNE

The Discovery Programme along with twenty-four other research institutions constructed a funding application for the FP7 theme: Research infrastructures for archaeological datasets and related technologies. The “Advanced Research Infrastructure for Archaeological Dataset Networking in Europe” (ARIADNE) proposal aims to bring together and integrate the existing archaeological research data infrastructures so that researchers can use the various distributed datasets and new and powerful technologies as an integral component of the archaeological research methodology. There is now a large availability of archaeological digital datasets that altogether span different periods, domains and regions; more are continuously created as a result of the increasing use of IT.These datasets are the accumulated outcome of the research of individuals, teams and institutions, but form a vast and fragmented corpus and their potential is constrained by difficult access and non-homogenous perspectives. Within Ireland The Discovery Programme hopes to use this project to formally bring together a range of fragmented and isolated archaeological datasets within a structured and harmonized system. During 2012 the project application was given a sufficiently high mark during the EU evaluation, for the project to be granted over €6 million over the next four years. The Discovery Programme will receive €185,000 direct funding from the EU Commission during this period.

LoCloud

A second EU funding application was submitted during 2012. The project titled LoCloud aims to build on the achievements of CARARE in establishing a repository-based aggregator for Archaeological and Architectural heritage and of EUROPEANA, which has resulted in the contribution to date of well over 5 million items to Europeana. The main goals of LoCloud are to continue to ease the task of enabling heritage organizations in making their contents accessible via EUROPEANA, by using cloud technologies to provide services and tools which help to reduce technical, semantic and skills barriers; to facilitate aggregation of digital content from small and medium cultural institutions, tobe made available to EUROPEANA; to enable smaller institutions such as house-museums to contribute their content to Europeana; to explore the potential of cloud computing for aggregation, enrichment and re-use, with a special focus on geographic location. The project will commence in 2013 and will involve experts from 33 institutions collaborating to bring heritage content to a wider audience. The project will receive €3.4 million in cofounding from the EU Commission of which The Discovery Programme will receive €92,000 in funding.

2.4 Project Support

During 2012 the Technology Unit at The Discovery Programme continued to provide technical support to a range of projects within the organization.

LIARI

The Technology Unit assisted the LIARI project in the application of remote sensing techniques for the identification and analysis of potential late Iron Age structures. Utilising a combination of online imagerysuch as Google Earth and LiDAR data provided with the assistance of Fingal County Council, several areas of high archaeological potential were identified and targeted with geophysical field survey. A second geophysical survey was conducted on Lambay Island in collaboration with UCD. To assist the identification of potential sites the Technology Unit reprocessed previously captured aerial photography provided by UCD utilising new ERDAS eATE software generating detailed terrain models similar in resolution to those normally associated with LiDAR data.

Additional Activities

During 2012 several additional initiatives, activities and collaborations were carried out by the Technology Unit, including:

• Collaboration with the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies on the Ogham in 3D project, providing field collection and processing of high definition 3D models of ogham stones and their associated carvings.

• Providing survey and 3D modeling assistance to the National Monuments Service and OPW in the recording of several high profile archaeological monuments including: Turoe Stone, Lia Fáil (Tara), Poulnabrone portal tomb, Loughcrew passage tomb including the Hag’s Chair.

• Organization of 1 day CPD training activity in conjunction with the National Monuments Service in the surveying and recording of monuments.

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George Victor Du Noyer, “Confey Castle” Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland,accessed March 29, 2016, http://rsai.locloudhosting.net/items/show/22689.

2.3 Funding Applications

During 2012, several EU funding applications were submitted for a range of calls within the Framework Programme 7 funding cycle, including:

ARIADNE

The Discovery Programme along with twenty-four other research institutions constructed a funding application for the FP7 theme: Research infrastructures for archaeological datasets and related technologies. The “Advanced Research Infrastructure for Archaeological Dataset Networking in Europe” (ARIADNE) proposal aims to bring together and integrate the existing archaeological research data infrastructures so that researchers can use the various distributed datasets and new and powerful technologies as an integral component of the archaeological research methodology. There is now a large availability of archaeological digital datasets that altogether span different periods, domains and regions; more are continuously created as a result of the increasing use of IT.These datasets are the accumulated outcome of the research of individuals, teams and institutions, but form a vast and fragmented corpus and their potential is constrained by difficult access and non-homogenous perspectives. Within Ireland The Discovery Programme hopes to use this project to formally bring together a range of fragmented and isolated archaeological datasets within a structured and harmonized system. During 2012 the project application was given a sufficiently high mark during the EU evaluation, for the project to be granted over €6 million over the next four years. The Discovery Programme will receive €185,000 direct funding from the EU Commission during this period.

LoCloud

A second EU funding application was submitted during 2012. The project titled LoCloud aims to build on the achievements of CARARE in establishing a repository-based aggregator for Archaeological and Architectural heritage and of EUROPEANA, which has resulted in the contribution to date of well over 5 million items to Europeana. The main goals of LoCloud are to continue to ease the task of enabling heritage organizations in making their contents accessible via EUROPEANA, by using cloud technologies to provide services and tools which help to reduce technical, semantic and skills barriers; to facilitate aggregation of digital content from small and medium cultural institutions, tobe made available to EUROPEANA; to enable smaller institutions such as house-museums to contribute their content to Europeana; to explore the potential of cloud computing for aggregation, enrichment and re-use, with a special focus on geographic location. The project will commence in 2013 and will involve experts from 33 institutions collaborating to bring heritage content to a wider audience. The project will receive €3.4 million in cofounding from the EU Commission of which The Discovery Programme will receive €92,000 in funding.

2.4 Project Support

During 2012 the Technology Unit at The Discovery Programme continued to provide technical support to a range of projects within the organization.

LIARI

The Technology Unit assisted the LIARI project in the application of remote sensing techniques for the identification and analysis of potential late Iron Age structures. Utilising a combination of online imagerysuch as Google Earth and LiDAR data provided with the assistance of Fingal County Council, several areas of high archaeological potential were identified and targeted with geophysical field survey. A second geophysical survey was conducted on Lambay Island in collaboration with UCD. To assist the identification of potential sites the Technology Unit reprocessed previously captured aerial photography provided by UCD utilising new ERDAS eATE software generating detailed terrain models similar in resolution to those normally associated with LiDAR data.

Additional Activities

During 2012 several additional initiatives, activities and collaborations were carried out by the Technology Unit, including:

• Collaboration with the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies on the Ogham in 3D project, providing field collection and processing of high definition 3D models of ogham stones and their associated carvings.

• Providing survey and 3D modeling assistance to the National Monuments Service and OPW in the recording of several high profile archaeological monuments including: Turoe Stone, Lia Fáil (Tara), Poulnabrone portal tomb, Loughcrew passage tomb including the Hag’s Chair.

• Organization of 1 day CPD training activity in conjunction with the National Monuments Service in the surveying and recording of monuments.

Continuous Professional Development course in archaeological aurveyingfor membera of the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland.

2.4DISCOVERY PROGRAMMEPROJECTS

Project Support

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2.5DISCOVERY PROGRAMMEPROJECTS

Environmental Studies

2.5 Environmental Projects

• Dr Ingelise Stuijts

The environmental research aspect of the Late Iron Age and ‘Roman’ Ireland project took shape over 2012. Fieldwork and coring was undertaken at various sites in collaboration with other institutions and individuals. This included fieldwork in the Kilkenny region with Cóilín Ó Drisceoil, Kilkenny Archaeology Consultancy, with a particular focus on the immediate vicinity of the Late Bronze Age hillfort on Freestone Hill, Co. Kilkenny which from evidence based on excavations carried out in 1947-8 by Gerhart Bersu and subsequent studies by Professor Barry Raftery and Raghnall Ó Floinn became a Late Iron Age cult site of Romano-British type. Fieldwork was also carried out as part of the landscape and geophysical survey of the Loughshinny/Drumanagh area. In collaboration with Dr Roseanne Schot and colleagues from NUI Galway,a sediment core was extracted for analysis from Lough Lugh on the Hill of Uisneach, Co. Westmeath.

Conferences on environmental research issues in Ireland are vital to advancing the interdisciplinary contacts between archaeologists and scientists and to that end Dr Stuijts was involved in organising two such conferences in 2012, namely, ‘Climate, environment, settlement and society: changing historic patterns in Ireland’ held in All Hallows College, Dublin on 24-6 February 2012 and jointly organized by the Irish Environment History Network and The Discovery Programme, and ‘Cereal cultivation in the past: signals from historical, archaeological and landscape sources’, in Trinity College Dublin Longroom Hub,8 November 2012. This was a joint meeting of the Agricultural History Society and the Irish Environmental History Network.

Environmental core sampling on Lough Lugh, Hill of Uisneach, Co. Westmeath

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2.6DISCOVERY PROGRAMMEPROJECTS

Inventory Projects

An ecclesiastical enclosure in Coolsrahra and Tarramud, Co. Galway

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2.6 Inventory Projects

• Katherine Daly

Online Inventory of Leo Swan’s Aerial Photographs

Leo Swan was an important figure in Irish archaeology. His work took in all aspects – research and excavation as well as aerial survey. He carried out a programme of aerial archaeological survey from the 1970s to 1990s and when he died in 2001 his collection of photographs was bequeathed to the National Museum of Ireland. The aerial photographs include images of archaeological sites and landscapes covering all periods including the Neolithic to the Post-Medieval, and cover most parts of Ireland with particular emphasis on the midlands particularly counties Dublin, Meath, Westmeath and Louth. A grant provided under the Built Heritage element of the Environment Fund by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, ensured the continuation of the project into 2012. This phase concentrated on:• Removal of film from old to conservation grade storage • Reconstruction of original sets of film• Finalising metadata format and content• The identification of archaeological sites and geographic locations continued.

Reconstructing sets of film

The nature of Leo Swan’s work - lectures and published research - resulted in an archive which included strips of film and individual frames dispersed into different storage boxes and folders. Reconstructing the original sets of film was useful for practical reasons – a single filename could be assigned to miscellaneous frames and strips which were found to belong to the one set. A detailed record of each set or partial set of film was compiled. This formed the basis for the metadata to be uploaded with each scanned image. Reconstructing sets of film will also facilitate future research into Leo Swan’s aerial survey sorties over the course of 30 years.

An additional 1,500 images in various formats – negatives, positives, slides, prints – were received by the project in the late 2011, bringing the total number of images to over 6000.

Metadata

Best practice policy in the compilation and presentation of metadata was finalized after consultation with Anthony Corns in The Discovery Programme, Mary Cahill, Nessa O’Connor (Antiquities Division), Valerie Dowling (senior photographer) and Richard Weinacht (Digital Archive Project) in the National Museum. Problems resolved during this process included the format of the unique file name assigned to each scanned image. The file name format results in forty separate numbering sequences, taking into account different film formats used by Leo Swan.

Identification

In this phase, the project concentrated on two Swan sources in order to speed up the process of identification of images. During the course of work carried out by Matthew Stout, who had been engaged by Leo Swan to compile an inventory of his photographs, 1000 negatives (from 81 rolls of film) were processed. Using Swan’s notes together with a reference collection of oblique aerial photographs, and vertical aerial imagery in the websites of the National Monuments Service and Ordnance Survey, the project succeeded in identifying the images in almost all these photographs. Colleagues in various institutions were consulted on a continuing basis for help in identifying sites. These identified prints were especially useful as Swan made several repeat visits to certain sites, especially in the Meath /Westmeath area. The second source examined was Leo Swan’s record of aerial survey. Four separate logbooks provide a record (albeit incomplete) of Swan’s sorties. The first entry recorded is for 21 – 3 – 1972. This logbook entry includes date of flight, the proposed route, names of sites photographed, film used and camera settings. During this phase of the project, a typescript of each of the four (located) logbooks was completed.

Next phase

Apart from his logbooks and captioned paper storage bags, the other major source of information regarding sites photographed by Leo Swan are his 28 annotated maps.The information contained in all these sources will be collated eventually in order to finalize identification of the areas covered by the photographs, and to reconstruct all the flight paths in the entire period of Swan’s aerial survey.

Leo Swan annotated map of south county Dublin

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2.6 Inventory Projects

• Katherine Daly

Online Inventory of Leo Swan’s Aerial Photographs

Leo Swan was an important figure in Irish archaeology. His work took in all aspects – research and excavation as well as aerial survey. He carried out a programme of aerial archaeological survey from the 1970s to 1990s and when he died in 2001 his collection of photographs was bequeathed to the National Museum of Ireland. The aerial photographs include images of archaeological sites and landscapes covering all periods including the Neolithic to the Post-Medieval, and cover most parts of Ireland with particular emphasis on the midlands particularly counties Dublin, Meath, Westmeath and Louth. A grant provided under the Built Heritage element of the Environment Fund by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, ensured the continuation of the project into 2012. This phase concentrated on:• Removal of film from old to conservation grade storage • Reconstruction of original sets of film• Finalising metadata format and content• The identification of archaeological sites and geographic locations continued.

Reconstructing sets of film

The nature of Leo Swan’s work - lectures and published research - resulted in an archive which included strips of film and individual frames dispersed into different storage boxes and folders. Reconstructing the original sets of film was useful for practical reasons – a single filename could be assigned to miscellaneous frames and strips which were found to belong to the one set. A detailed record of each set or partial set of film was compiled. This formed the basis for the metadata to be uploaded with each scanned image. Reconstructing sets of film will also facilitate future research into Leo Swan’s aerial survey sorties over the course of 30 years.

An additional 1,500 images in various formats – negatives, positives, slides, prints – were received by the project in the late 2011, bringing the total number of images to over 6000.

Metadata

Best practice policy in the compilation and presentation of metadata was finalized after consultation with Anthony Corns in The Discovery Programme, Mary Cahill, Nessa O’Connor (Antiquities Division), Valerie Dowling (senior photographer) and Richard Weinacht (Digital Archive Project) in the National Museum. Problems resolved during this process included the format of the unique file name assigned to each scanned image. The file name format results in forty separate numbering sequences, taking into account different film formats used by Leo Swan.

Identification

In this phase, the project concentrated on two Swan sources in order to speed up the process of identification of images. During the course of work carried out by Matthew Stout, who had been engaged by Leo Swan to compile an inventory of his photographs, 1000 negatives (from 81 rolls of film) were processed. Using Swan’s notes together with a reference collection of oblique aerial photographs, and vertical aerial imagery in the websites of the National Monuments Service and Ordnance Survey, the project succeeded in identifying the images in almost all these photographs. Colleagues in various institutions were consulted on a continuing basis for help in identifying sites. These identified prints were especially useful as Swan made several repeat visits to certain sites, especially in the Meath /Westmeath area. The second source examined was Leo Swan’s record of aerial survey. Four separate logbooks provide a record (albeit incomplete) of Swan’s sorties. The first entry recorded is for 21 – 3 – 1972. This logbook entry includes date of flight, the proposed route, names of sites photographed, film used and camera settings. During this phase of the project, a typescript of each of the four (located) logbooks was completed.

Next phase

Apart from his logbooks and captioned paper storage bags, the other major source of information regarding sites photographed by Leo Swan are his 28 annotated maps.The information contained in all these sources will be collated eventually in order to finalize identification of the areas covered by the photographs, and to reconstruct all the flight paths in the entire period of Swan’s aerial survey.

Survey data from the Ogham 3D project,Ardmore, Co. Waterford

3.PUBLICATIONS ANDCONFERENCES 2012

PUBLICATIONS 2012

• J. Cahill Wilson, ‘Lost in transcription: rethinking our approach to the archaeology of the later Iron Age in Ireland’, in C. Corlett and M. Potterton (eds) Life and death in Iron Age Ireland: in the light of recent archaeological excavations (Wordwell: Dublin) 15-34.

• J. Cahill Wilson, H. Usborne, C. Taylor, P. Ditchfield and A.W.G. Pike, ‘Strontium and Oxygen Isotope Analysis on Iron Age and Early Historic burials around the Great Mound at Knowth, Co. Meath’, in G. Eogan (and other contributors), Excavations at Knowth 5: the archaeology of Knowth in the first and second millennia AD (Appendix 5) (Royal Irish Academy: Dublin) 775-787.

• J. Cahill Wilson, (with contributions from G. Dowling, M.A. Bevivino and P. Barry), ‘The Late Iron Age and Roman Ireland (LIARI) Project’, Archaeology Ireland, Winter 2012, 26 (4), 6

• G. Dowling, (with J. Fenwick, R. Schot and J. Rogers), ‘Crewbane souterrain and nearby archaeological features, Brugh na Bóinne, Slane, Co. Meath’. Ríocht na Midhe 23, 1–25.

• Ingelise Stuijts, Lorna O’Donnell and Susan Lyons, ‘Cloud-computing in anthracology – experiences with the WODAN online database in Ireland’, Saguntum-extra 11 (Papeles del Laboratorio de Arqueología de Valencia).

February ‘Digital Archives in archaeology in Ireland and elsewhere’ Archaeological Archives as a Resource: Creation, Curation & Access. Royal Irish Academy.

Annual Presentation to the Archaeology Masters Course on the use of Technology in Archaeology, NUI Galway.

Trees and their products in Irish daily lives: from faggots to beams and shingles, and dirty ditch fills’. Climate, Environment, Settlement and Society conference, All Hallows College, Dublin (Dr Ingelise Stuijts).

March Session Organization - Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) in archaeology and cultural heritage:achievements, problems and perspectives at Computer Application in Archaeology (CAA). ‘Archaeological investigations at the ‘royal’ enclosure of Ráith Airthir, Teltown’, Landscapes of Assembly: the Óenach in Early Medieval Ireland, University College Cork (Dr Ger Dowling).

‘Strontium and oxygen isotope analysis, its application in Archaeology’, NUI Galway postgraduate seminar (Dr Jacqueline Cahill Wilson).

April 3D-Icons Project Meeting, Naples, Italy (Technology Team).

‘The Late Iron Age and ‘Roman’ Ireland Project’, Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland Spring (Dr Ger Dowling).

‘The Late Iron Age and ‘Roman’ Ireland Project’, Rathcroghan Conference, Roscommon (Dr Jacqueline Cahill Wilson).

May ‘The vegetation of Lough Ree, an unfinished story’. Group for the Study of Irish Historic Settlement, Hudson Bay Hotel (Dr Ingelise Stuijts).

June ‘A bluffers guide to Medieval Woodland Management in Ireland.’ Space and Settlement in the Middle Ages, TCD Long Hub (Dr Ingelise Stuijts).

Rathgall charcoal. Rathgall round table meeting, University College Dublin (Dr Ingelise Stuijts)

CONFERENCE PAPERS AND LECTURES 2012

‘The Late Iron Age and Roman Ireland Project’, Iron Age Research Student Symposium, Southampton (Michael Ann Bevivino).

July Revealing the past: remote sensing techniques in archaeology, ESOF Session in collaboration with ArcLand Project, Dublin (Anthony Corns).

‘The Late Iron Age and Roman Ireland Project’, Westmeath Heritage Forum (Dr Jacqueline Cahill Wilson).

August ‘The Late Iron Age and ‘Roman’ Ireland Project’, Achill Archaeological Field School, Co.Mayo (Dr Ger Dowling).

Open Heritage Week, lectures on Medieval Dublin, Royal Irish Antiquaries /Irish Historic Settlement Group ‘What wood would a woodcutter cut if a woodcutter would cut wood: trees and their products in Medieval Dublin’ (Dr Ingelise Stuijts).

September ‘Bog bodies from Northwest Europe: stories from mummies in the peat’. Westport Civic trust, the Atlantic Coast Hotel (Dr Ingelise Stuijts).

‘Cloud-computing in anthracology – developing the WODAN online database in Ireland’ Archaeological and Historical Wood Utilization meeting, Egmond aan Zee,Netherlands (Dr Ingelise Stuijts).

EU Project collaboration meeting, RGK, Frankfurt ArcLand Plenary Meeting, Budapest, Hungary (Technology Team).

October ‘From pollen to landscape: can we translate pollen diagrams into vegetation maps?’, LIARI conference, Dublin (Dr Ingelise Stuijts).

November ‘Ireland in the early centuries AD’, undergraduate course lecture, NUI Galway (Dr Ger Dowling).

‘Archaeological investigations at Ráith Airthir’, Lismullin Heritage Centre, Co. Meath (Dr Ger Dowling).

26 27

4.DISCOVERY PROGRAMME PERSONNEL AND MEETINGS

Ger Dowling at the LIARI Conference, Trinity College Dublin, October 2012

Meeting dates

Audit Committee24 February / 18 April / 22 May / 2 July / 25 September /12 December 2012

Directorate2 March / 24 April / 22 May / 3 July / 7 August /25 September / 26 November / 12 December 2012

Annual General Meeting26 November 2012

DISCOVERY PROGRAMME DIRECTORATE

The Directorate (Outgoing term ended 14 January 2011) Affiliation

DISCOVERY PROGRAMME COUNCIL

The Directorate (Outgoing term ended 14 January 2011) Affiliation

28 29

Professor Terence Barry Department of Medieval History, TCDMr Cormac Bourke Ulster Journal of Archaeology (editor)Ms Mary Cahill National Museum of IrelandMr Ian Doyle Heritage CouncilMr Conleth Manning National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage & the GaeltachtDr Rachel Moss Department of Art History & Architecture, TCDDr Elizabeth O’Brien Royal Society of Antiquaries of IrelandDr Tomás Ó Carragáin Department of Archaeology, UCCDr Graeme Warren School of Archaeology, UCD

Professor Terence Barry (Chair) Department of Medieval History, TCDMs Teresa Bolger Institute of Archaeologists of IrelandDr Michelle Comber School of Archaeology, NUIGDr Ann Lynch National Monuments Service, DAHGDr Eileen Murphy Queen’s University, BelfastDr Máirín Ní Cheallaigh Royal Society of Antiquaries of IrelandMr Raghnall Ó Floinn National Museum of Ireland/ Royal Irish AcademyDr John O’Keeffe Northern Ireland Environmental AgencyDr Greer Ramsey National Museums of Northern IrelandDr Colin Rynne Department of Archaeology, UCCDr Robert Sands School of Archaeology, UCDMr Robert Shaw Discovery Programme Staff Representative

DISCOVERY PROGRAMME STAFF 2012

Current Staff Role

5.FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Dr Brian Lacey CEO Ms Kathleen O'Sullivan Company Administrator Ms Aoife Kane Administrative Assistant Dr Ingelise Stuijts Environmentalist Mr Anthony Corns Technology Manager Mr Robert Shaw Senior Geo-Surveyor Mr Gary Devlin Surveyor Dr Jacqueline Cahill Wilson Project Director Dr Gerard Dowling Assistant Project Director Ms Michael Ann Bevivino Research Assistant Ms Claire Cotter Project Director Mr Steven McGlade Archaeologist Ms Katherine Daly Archaeologist

30 31

Terrestial laser scan of Caher Mor, Burren, Co. Clare

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNTFor the year ended 31 December 2011

Accounting policies and notes 1 to 20 form part of these financial statements. All income and expenditure for the year ended 31 December 2011 relate to continuing activities. The company had no other gains or losses in the financial year or the preceding year other than those dealt with in the Income and Expenditure Account.

The financial statements were approved and authorized for issue by the board of directors on 25 September 2012 and signed on its behalf by Dr Rachel Moss and Prof Terrence Barry.

IncomeAmount in Euros (€)Notes

Notes

Heritage CouncilDept. of Environment, Community & Local Government -Hill of Tara project

Western Stone Fort projectInstar

2011

850,000

14,620

16

13456

7

2010

1,300,000

-

-

-

7,000

77,07516,611 30,369

2,972 6,3013,525 1,492

ExpenditureWages and salariesInterest and chargesPromotions and conferencesOffice and accomodation Research consultancy

Training and recruitment

2011

605,538519

11,989

Photography

2010

791,786435

12,013309,018

14,737

244,726

566-

350

RecruitmentTravelling and subsistencePublicationsAccountancy and professional feesAuditors remuneration

SubscriptionsRelocation expenses

Depreciation

(1,478,440)

39,44919,3854,700

1,86231,896

Project expenses - 3D Icons and ArcLand 4,498Fieldwork and excavation costsProject expenses - 3D Icons and Arcland

3,019

Deficit for the year

Opening surplus 1 January(36,052)159,888

Closing surplus 31 December 123,83691,176

-

117,059

7,672

36,678

4,1132,133

-

(884,809)

47,59711,9694,700

2,21826,781

-1,042

-4,101

(32,660)123,836

700

852,149 1,442,388

European Union’s Culture 2007−2013 framework - ArchaeoLandscape Europe project

894,728 1,415,237(42,579) 27,151

Dept. of Environment, Community & Local Government -

Transfer (to) / from capital account

Outsourced ServicesOther IncomeInterest Receivable

- -

33 34

BALANCE SHEETBalance Sheet as at 31 December 2011

44,66587,244

Amout in Euros (€)

Tangible Assets

2011 2010

2011 2010

44,665Capital Account123,836Income and expenditure account168,501TOTAL CAPITAL EMPLOYED

17,06049,882

135,436

StocksDebtorsCash at bank and in hand

(78,542)123,836

CREDITORS (amounts falling due within one year)NET CURRENT ASSETSTOTAL NET ASSETS

Fixed Assests

Current Assests

Capital and Reserves

Accounting policies and notes 1 to 20 form part of these financial statements.

The financial statements were approved and authorized for issue by the board of directors on 25 September 2012 and signed on its behalf by Dr Rachel Moss and Prof Terrence Barry.

202,378

168,501

87,24491,176

178,420

15,15413,725

142,830

(80,533)91,176

171,709

178,420

Notes

Notes

2011 2010Notes

9

10

11

16

BALANCE SHEETBalance Sheet as at 31 December 2011

44,66587,244

Amout in Euros (€)

Tangible Assets

2011 2010

2011 2010

44,665Capital Account123,836Income and expenditure account168,501TOTAL CAPITAL EMPLOYED

17,06049,882

135,436

StocksDebtorsCash at bank and in hand

(78,542)123,836

CREDITORS (amounts falling due within one year)NET CURRENT ASSETSTOTAL NET ASSETS

Fixed Assests

Current Assests

Capital and Reserves

Accounting policies and notes 1 to 20 form part of these financial statements.

The financial statements were approved and authorized for issue by the board of directors on 25 September 2012 and signed on its behalf by Dr Rachel Moss and Prof Terrence Barry.

202,378

168,501

87,24491,176

178,420

15,15413,725

142,830

(80,533)91,176

171,709

178,420

Notes

Notes

2011 2010Notes

9

10

11

16

Geophysical survey of Popes Hall, Loughshinny, Co. Dublin.Looking north towards St. Patrick’s Islands, Skerries.35 36

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