Archaeological applications of testate amoebae analyses: a case study from Derryville, Co. Tipperary, Ireland

The value of testate amoebae in the reconstruction of changes in surface wetness from ombrotrophic mires is well known, but the potential value of such records in specifically archaeological investigations has not yet been investigated. This note describes the analysis of testate amoebae for a sedim...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of archaeological science Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. 49 - 55
Main Authors Gearey, Benjamin R., Caseldine, Christopher J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 2006
Elsevier Science
Subjects
Environmental studies
Geology and climatology
Holocene
Ireland
Methodology and general studies
Palaeohydrology
Prehistory and protohistory
Testate amoebae
Wetland archaeology
Europe
Ireland
Palaeohydrology
Testate amoebae
Holocene
Ireland
Wetland archaeology
Reconstruction
Study
Construction
Sediment
Wetland site
Case
Surface
Analysis
well
Archives
Archaeological site
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Summary:The value of testate amoebae in the reconstruction of changes in surface wetness from ombrotrophic mires is well known, but the potential value of such records in specifically archaeological investigations has not yet been investigated. This note describes the analysis of testate amoebae for a sediment sequence from the multi-period wetland archaeological site of Derryville, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. The reconstructed watertable is presented and plotted against the range of dates from excavated archaeological features in the wetland area. The data demonstrate a clear association between periods of low watertable and increased anthropogenic activity as reflected by site construction. The value of testate amoebae in future integrated archaeological investigations of wetland systems is discussed.
ISSN:0305-4403
1095-9238
DOI:10.1016/j.jas.2005.06.005