Related Publications
Periodicals and short publications
The results of TII-funded archaeological works often feature in periodicals published by local history and archaeology societies, professional institutions, and commercial publishers throughout the country and across Europe. Since 2000 more than one hundred articles and papers related to TII archaeological investigations have been published in a variety of journals and magazines. In addition, numerous papers have been published in conference proceedings, etc. A full list of these publications—last updated December 2023—can be downloaded (in Excel format) from here.
Books
In addition to supporting dissemination through journals and magazines, TII occasionally co-funds books produced by other publishers and co-publishes material with local authority partners. These books are listed below, with purchasing information, where relevant.
Life and Death in Medieval Gaelic Ireland: the skeletons from Ballyhanna, Co. Donegal
(ISBN 978-1-84682-330-5)
In 2003, the skeletal remains of some 1,300 individuals—men, women and children—were archaeologically excavated at Ballyhanna, near Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, in advance of the construction of the N15 Bundoran–Ballyshannon bypass. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the cemetery was in use for a prolonged period of time from the seventh to the 17th century. The remains of all individuals were subject to a detailed osteological and palaeopathological analysis as part of the Ballyhanna Research Project—a collaborative cross-border project between Queen's University Belfast and Institute of Technology, Sligo, which was funded by TII through Donegal County Council. Life and Death in Medieval Gaelic Ireland, by Dr Catriona McKenzie and Professor Eileen Murphy, contextualizes the results of the research, revealing a wealth of information concerning the health, diet and lifestyle of the people buried at Ballyhanna. The analysis represents the first comprehensive study of a skeletal population from medieval Gaelic Ireland and provides detailed insights concerning the hitherto largely invisible lower class of Gaelic society. The book was published by Four Courts Press in October 2018.
Readers might also be interested in The Science of a Lost Medieval Gaelic Graveyard: the Ballyhanna Research Project (published by TII in December 2015), which draws together the various research strands to create a comprehensive overview of the graveyard and the life and times of those buried there. Additional articles and papers related to the project can also be accessed here.
Listen to the Abarta Heritage audiobook related to the site at Ballyhanna.
Woodstown: a Viking-Age settlement in Co. Waterford
(ISBN 978-1-84682-536-1) CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT
Woodstown: a Viking-Age settlement in Co. Waterford, edited by Ian Russell and Maurice F Hurley, is the definitive report on the archaeological excavations undertaken at a ninth-century Viking settlement at Woodstown, on the south bank of the River Suir, less than 10 km upstream from Waterford City. The discovery of this exceptionally important site in 2003, in advance of the construction of the N25 Waterford City Bypass, has very significant implications for our understanding of the earliest phases of Viking raiding in Ireland and the establishment of their settlements on the island. The major and central part of the Woodstown site appears to be focused on two contiguous D-shaped enclosures defined by ditches. Occupation encompassed domestic, industrial and craft-working activities and the site became an important centre for trade and exchange, with abundant evidence for a developed trading economy. The site is also notable for the presence of one of the most richly furnished Viking warrior burials in Ireland or Britain.
Archaeologist Dr David Griffiths of Oxford University has described the discovery of Woodstown as ‘a milestone in European Viking archaeology and is arguably the most important individual discovery coming from the Irish ‘construction boom’ of the 2000–10 decade’. The book draws together all of the evidence from recent research and excavations at this important Viking site and places it in its national and international contexts. Woodstown is the result of a partnership between the NRA (now TII), the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and Waterford City and County Council. It was published by Four Courts Press in October 2014.
A PDF version of the Woodstown book can be accessed via the TII Digital Heritage Collections.
Listen to the Abarta Heritage audiobook related to the Woodstown site.
Settlement and Community in the Fir Tulach Kingdom
(ISBN 978-0-9564180-9-8) CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT
The National Roads Authority and Westmeath County Council jointly published Settlement and Community in the Fir Tulach Kingdom , by Paul Stevens and John Channing, in November 2012. The book describes three significant excavations—at Rochfort Demesne, Ballykilmore and Clonfad—on the routes of the M6 and N52 in County Westmeath, which cross through the early medieval territory of the Fir Tulach (or ‘Men of the hills’), nestled in the heart of the Irish midlands. Rochfort Demesne provided a fascinating insight into the development of an enclosed settlement (ringfort). A remarkable collection of over 1,000 early–late medieval burials within a mainly local and agrarian population is revealed at Ballykilmore. Finally, a high level of art and industry is accredited to a monastic community at Clonfad, culminating in unique evidence for the manufacture of a brazed iron handbell. The excavations are individually described and illustrated in detail in this book, with full interpretations, discussion and analysis of the archaeological, historical, scientific and environmental background in the wider early medieval context. The book is accompanied by a CD which includes two additional scientific and technical chapters on the large assemblage of human remains and highly significant metallurgical analysis.
A low-resolution PDF version of the book can be accessed by clicking the Read Online button below. The PDF also includes appendices 1–3, the Clonfad geophysical survey report, and a technical chapter on the antler and bone artefacts from all three sites, which were originally contained on the CD that accompanied the hardcopy book. The excavation reports for all three sites can be viewed and downloaded from the TII Digital Heritage Collections at the following links: Ballykilmore 6 Vol. 1, Vol. 2 and Vol. 3; Clonfad 3 Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Plates and Figures; and Rochfort Demesne.
Archaeological Excavations at Tullahedy, County Tipperary
(ISBN: 978-1-8488913-3-3)
Conducted in advance of the construction of a link between the N7 and N52 roads, an archaeological investigation uncovered an enclosed Neolithic settlement at Tullahedy, near Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. The site was located on an esker with Neolithic activity dated from between 3670 BC and 3460 BC. The settlement comprised three Neolithic houses, two within a natural hollow and a third near a former lakeshore. Lavishly illustrated, this volume presents the findings in an attractive and comprehensive manner. Archaeological Excavations at Tullahedy, County Tipperary: Neolithic Settlement in North Munster, by Rose M Cleary and Hilary Kelleher, was published by The Collins Press in 2011.
Training and Practice for Modern Day Archaeologists
(ISBN 978-1-4614-5529-5)
Training and Practice for Modern Day Archaeologists in the One World Archaeology Series contains papers which present contemporary perspectives on the professional practice of archaeology around the globe. The genesis of the book was the very successful World Archaeological Congress meeting in Dublin in 2008. The NRA (now TII) sponsored and helped organise WAC-6 and the papers in this volume originated from three sessions convened at the conference. The papers in the volume present case studies from European countries, Australia, the USA and Canada. Seven papers focus on Irish themes, three of which are specifically related to the work of the NRA. Training and Practice for Modern Day Archaeologists, edited by John H Jameson (National Parks Service, USA) and James Eogan (TII Archaeology & Heritage), was published by Springer in January 2013 and is availbale as an as eBook and in hardcopy.