Dr Aidan O'Sullivan BA, MA, PhD
Research Interests:
I have been Principal Investigator and Project Director of several archaeological research projects exploring these subjects. Since my appointment at UCD, I have been awarded a range of research grants by IRCHSS, Heritage Council, RIA and INSTAR amongst others, and have also supported many successful PhD and post-doctoral scholarships applications, all amounting to a total of over 1.1 million euros in grant awards. My research interests revolve around 2 key areas and I would welcome contacts from any potential MA/PhD students also interested in these general themes.
Early medieval Ireland in its northwest European contexts: people, settlements and their landscapes, AD 400-1200
I am Principal Investigator (P.I.), with Dr Finbar McCormick, of the INSTAR Early Medieval Archaeology Project (EMAP), funded by UCD Seed Funding (2007), the Heritage Council (2008) and the Irish National Strategic Archaeological Research (INSTAR) programme (2008-2011). This is an international collaborative research programme, with UCD, QUB, CRDS, ACS, Archer Heritage Planning, IAC and MGL Ltd, with numerous reports, databases, public lectures and publications. See www.emap.ie for all reports and news.
My own research on early medieval Ireland explores how people organised their settlements and landscapes, to negotiate and perform particular social identities (ethnicity, kinship, social status, gender and community). With the support of an IRCHSS Senior Research Scholarship (2002/2003), I completed my PhD on early medieval crannogs and island dwellings in Ireland (my related books include The archaeology of lake settlement in Ireland, Royal Irish Academy, 1998; Coolure Demesne crannog: an introduction to its archaeology and landscapes (Wordwell, 2007) and Crannogs in early medieval Ireland, (Four Courts Press, forthcoming 2008). As a UCD President's Research Fellow (2005/2006), I began research for a book provisionally entitled Early medieval people and their landscapes in Ireland, AD 400-1100. I have recently written peer-reviewed articles on early medieval settlement enclosures (PRIA 2011); early medieval houses (Peritia 2008), on early medieval coastal landscapes and early medieval fishing practices (World Archaeology 2004). I lead the UCD Early Medieval and Viking Age Research Group (EMVARG) and supervise several PhDs on early medieval Britain and Ireland.
Wetlands and Maritime Archaeology
My interests in coastal and wetland archaeology encompass the ways that past peoples interacted with wet environments, whether they are estuaries, lakes or boglands. In the past, I completed ancient wood technology reports from various prehistoric waterlogged and urban medieval archaeological sites (including Viking Age houses and medieval waterfronts). Previous publications have included The archaeology of lake settlement in Ireland (Royal Irish Academy 1998); Foragers, farmers and fishers in a coastal landscape: an intertidal archaeological survey of the Shannon estuary (Royal Irish Academy 2001) and (with Robert van de Noort) Rethinking Wetland Archaeology (Duckworth 2006), which explores theoretical and interpretative potential of wetland archaeological investigations and (with Colin Breen) Maritime Ireland: an archaeology of coastal communities (Tempus 2007) and am on the steering group of Submerged Landscapes Archaeological Network (SLAN). I am a co-editor with Prof Francesco Menotti of The Oxford Handbook of Wetland Archaeology (Oxford University Press, 2012, in press)
Landscape Archaeology
As a landscape archaeologist, I was previously employed in the Discovery Programme's North Munster Project between 1992-2000, researching with colleagues through cartographic, aerial photographic survey, finds research, monument surveys and site excavations (e.g. Mooghaun Hillfort) this region in the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age. I also completed a range of Environmental Impact Assessments and have taught in UCD a range of undergraduate and postgraduate landscape archaeology courses. I am currently a co-director (with Graeme Warren and Conor McDermott) of the UCD Kings River Valley and Wicklow Mountains Research Project, which is investigating prehistoric and historic-period settlement in the Wicklow mountains. I also co-directed (with Dr. Rob Sands) the Lough Derrvarragh Environs Project, which is exploring archaeological landscapes in the Irish midlands.
Research Projects:
| Sponsor : University College Dublin (UCD) Title : Experimental Archaeology in Northwest Europe/HII Event Start Date / End Date : 31-AUG-11 / 30-SEP-11 |
| Sponsor : Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) Title : Living with the dead in early medieval Ireland. Start Date / End Date : 01-OCT-11 / 30-SEP-12 |
| Sponsor : The Heritage Council Title : Early Medieval Archaeology Project 2: The Origins of the Irish Economy Start Date / End Date : 01-JUN-11 / 30-NOV-11 |
| Sponsor : Office of Public Works (OPW) Title : Experimental Archaeology Project Start Date / End Date : 01-FEB-11 / 31-DEC-11 |
| Sponsor : Office of Public Works (OPW) Title : Early Medieval Settlements in Northwest Europe, AD 400-1100 International Conference Start Date / End Date : 01-NOV-10 / 30-APR-11 |
| Sponsor : Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) Title : Living with the church in early medieval Ireland, AD 400-1100: Archaeological perspectives on the sacred and profane Start Date / End Date : 01-OCT-10 / 30-SEP-11 |