Treckers through time: recent archaeological survey results from Co. Offaly, Ireland

The work of the Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit (IAWU) is primarily focused on surveying the raised bogs of the Irish midlands. In this region the State peat company, Bord na Móna, industrially exploits 85,000ha of peat for energy, horticulture and domestic fuel (Fig. 1). The main brief of the archaeological survey is to fieldwalk this area, to identify archaeological sites and to facilitate their protection under National Monuments legislation. Given the nature of industrial peatlands it is also important that the sites identified be recorded in sufficient detail to gain some understanding of the structures in the event they are destroyed before protection or preservation.