Archaeological treasures in the Republic are at risk of being destroyed because of inadequate site-testing by archaeologists, according to a report published yesterday.
The Heritage Council report is critical of archaeologists' "traditional hit-and-miss" excavations and identifies "many problems" with their monitoring and reporting procedures. It concludes that there is a need for the profession to move forward and embrace new assessment techniques.
"It's not just our heritage that is suffering under the current situation. The economy, and specifically the builder, has to endure costly hold-ups in development, often resulting in lay-offs," said Mr Michael Starrett, chief executive of the Heritage Council.
"At present, inadequate testing procedures and reports are leading to inconsistent assessments of the heritage value of sites. The result is that archaeological treasures may be lost or development projects held up at quite advanced stages," he added.
He said archaeologists needed to sit down with State administrators and come up with a set of guidelines to govern testing practices. "There are European models to draw upon, notably from the UK. The continuing upsurge in the pace of development must be accompanied by a structure whereby sites can be assessed for their archaeological potential in a manner that is both comprehensive and consistent," he said.
The Heritage Council report suggests modern non-destructive test methods, such as ground-penetrating radar, should be employed as alternatives to traditional test excavations.
It also emphasises that background research of sites in advance of fieldwork is fundamental, adding that excavation of trenches is unproductive when carried out in isolation.
The report points to the need for professional university courses for those carrying out tests.