PRESS STATEMENT PRESS STATEMENT PRESS STATEMENT
The Millmount Archaeological
Remote Sensing (MARS) Project
A new project is getting underway in
Drogheda which aims to use the latest technologies to explore the archaeology
of the well-known landmark at Millmount. Archaeologist Dr Conor Brady of the
Humanities and Social Sciences Research Centre and archaeological geophysicist
Kevin Barton of Landscape and Geophysical Services are teaming up with the Old
Drogheda Society and Drogheda Museum Millmount to try to answer some of the
long-standing questions about this famous monument. Millmount was the castle
for Drogheda when the town was founded in the late 12th century by
Hugh de Lacy. However, there is a strong folklore tradition that the mound is
the burial place of Amhairgin, a mythological figure credited with introducing
song and poetry to Ireland. This tradition may indicate that the mound is
earlier than the 12th century and that it could also be a burial
place. If this is the case, the possibility is that it may be a passage tomb
given that one of the most important passage tomb cemeteries lies a few
kilometres upstream along the Boyne at the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site.
It is noteworthy that the question of the possible prehistoric origins of the
mound at Millmount was highlighted in 2009 in the Brú na Bóinne Research
Framework issued by the Heritage Council.
A programme of
non-invasive geophysical survey is planned to take place over the next six
months and has been designed to gather information on a number of questions
relating to the history and development of this important archaeological
complex. A number of geophysical techniques will be used including ground
penetrating radar, electrical resistivity tomography, seismic tomography and
possibly microgravity, which was recently used in a pioneering study at the
great passage tomb of Newgrange. The team will also be making use of up-to-date
aerial photography, satellite imagery and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)
data for the area which was gathered by the Office of Public Works for flood
relief planning. This provides a highly detailed topographical model of the
landscape around Millmount and will serve as the basis for the analysis and
presentation of the geophysical results.
As the steep profile of
the mound of Millmount presents some unique challenges for carrying out
geophysical survey, the services of the Civil Defence have been secured in
order to carry out the surveys in as safe a manner as possible. The proposed
research programme was launched at a lecture for the Old Drogheda Society
during Heritage Week 2013 in Millmount in Drogheda which was very well attended
and generated much interest. We hope that preliminary results will come
available as the survey progresses over the coming weeks and months which might
allow us to get an early glimpse of the secrets within the great mound. Dr Conor
Brady said:
“This is a most
interesting project with huge potential for new information about the great
mound of Millmount to be discovered. It fits very well with recent research
that has been carried out in the Brú na Bóinne WHS, especially that at Newgrange
and the Hill of Slane. The Old Drogheda Society are to be applauded for
initiating this exciting project.”
There will be a press and public
opportunity at Millmount to see the survey team in action and to take
photographs etc between 3.00 and 4.00pm on
Saturday 23rd November 2013
Project Partners
The Old Drogheda Society was founded in 1964 and is
one of Ireland’s premier local history societies with a constant programme of
often innovative activities and an excellent record of publication including
the highly-regarded annual Journal of The Old Drogheda Society. The
Society founded the Drogheda Museum in the Millmount fort complex in 1974 and
this month (Nov 2013) the Museum celebrates the achievement of Full
Accreditation Status under the Museum Standards Programme Ireland (MSPI).
Drogheda Museum Millmount is the first voluntary-run and Community
Employment-staffed museum to achieve this status.
Landscape and Geophysical
Services (LGS)
has been active in archaeological geophysics in Ireland and abroad for over 20
years. In the 1990’s, funded by the Heritage Council, Kevin Barton and
colleagues at University College Galway carried out Ireland’s first intensive,
multi-method archaeological geophysical survey in the Rathcroghan Complex in
Co. Roscommon. LGS is involved in a number of innovative commercial and
community archaeological projects, is currently a member of the General
Management Board of the ArchaeoLandscapes Europe project and a partner in the
Brú na Bóinne Remote Sensing Project.
Dundalk Institute of
Technology is
the leading education and research institution in the north-east. DkIT has been
active in archaeological research through its Humanities and Social Sciences
Research Centre member, Dr Conor Brady who has directed such projects as the
Brú na Bóinne Lithic Scatters Project, the Rossnaree Excavation Project,
the Hill of Slane Archaeological Project as well as significant collaborating
in new geophysical survey projects at the mound of Newgrange and the Brú na
Bóinne Remote Sensing Project.
Louth and Monaghan Civil Defence are experienced in the deployment of
equipment in difficult terrain and are pleased to be involve with the Millmount
Archaeological Remote Sensing Project. The opportunity to use our skills and
experience in working with the ground penetrating radar equipment is
appreciated. We hope our experience will aid the project in investigating
Millmount.
For
further information, please contact Liam
Reilly 041 9833097
(Old
Drogheda Society/Drogheda Museum Millmount)
