The Discovery Programme

Geophysical surveying is a general term for a range of non-invasive or remote sensing techniques used to detect features buried beneath the surface without digging. A range of approaches exist using specialist equipment to measure variations in the physical properties below the surface to identify archaeological features. Depending on the type of survey being conducted structural elements, traces of human activity or artefacts can be identified as they return significant anomolies in the data from the background values.

Geophysical survey has been an integral part of our research projects from the Hill of Tara survey in 1992 to the most recent surveys undertaken for the Roscommon module of the Medieval Rural Settlement project. Initially geophysical specialists were contracted to undertake the work of our behalf, and this is still the case when certain approaches are need. However in 2008, with funding from the Heritage Council, the programme purchased the equipment to undertake magnetic gradiometry and electrical resistance surveys independently. Training and advice from amongst others Joe Fenwick (NUI Galway) and Paul Gibson (NUI Maynooth) has enabled the new equipment be put into effective use over the past year, increasing significantly the volume of geophysical work undertaken.