Community Involvement in Heritage

The Discipline of Archaeology, NUI Galway welcomes and encourages the involvement of communities whose heritage we investigate.  We understand that part of our obligation is to inform the public about our work before and during its progress and central to our purpose is to report publicly and disseminate results widely upon completion.  Local people have participated on a number of our excavations while some members of staff are involved in work which requires consultation and informed consent of the communities concerned and is community-led.

Members of staff and graduate students are also interested in promoting schools archaeology and have regularly given talks to local schools and worked with transition year students. The Discipline is developing research in this area in the public archaeology research cluster.

Community Excavations and Open Days

Heritage Week Excavations: Caherconnell Stone Fort

Two-week excavations are organized around Heritage Week every summer, in conjunction with Graham Hull of TVAS Ireland Ltd. and the Davoren family/Burren Forts Ltd. These excavations take place at Caherconnell visitor centre (owned by the Davoren family), and are open to visitors for their duration. The excavations are filmed for addition to the visitor centre audio-visual presentations. Site talks, newspaper (Clare People, Clare Champion, Galway Observer, Galway Advertiser, Mayo News, Irish Times, Irish Examiner, Daily Mirror), radio (Clare FM, Radio 1, 2FM) and television interviews (RTE, TnaG) are given during this period.  The Director is Michelle Comber.

Community Excavation: Horse Island Project July 2006

In co-operation with the County Clare Monuments Advisor, C. Jones directed a small excavation on Horse Island which had as one of its aims the raising of the profile of archaeology in the local community.

Community-Led Work

Kurdish women from a village in the Ilisu dam reservoir area in southeast Turkey who oppose the dam.  

The archaeology and development project and its sub-projects in the public archaeology cluster, directed by Maggie Ronayne, are conducted in collaboration with many community organisations in several countries and derive their orientation from a number of them. This work may be described as community archaeology, in this case conducted in the context of the impact of development and war. For example interviews, surveys, photography, release of documents and publications are conducted with community consultation and informed consent. All reports and public documents are written in consultation with community organisations and all peer-reviewed academic publications arising from this work have also been peer-reviewed by community organisations with whom Maggie has an ongoing and mutually accountable working relationship.

Schools Archaeology

ACCESS School Groups (NUIG) - Carleton Jones occasionally gives talks to school children from disadvantaged areas explaining what archaeology is and encouraging them to pursue a college degree. If you would like a talk about archaeology in your school, please email or call the Discipline of Archaeology.