In 2003 the authors began a series of articles for Archaeology Ireland under the banner ‘Know Your Monuments’.  More than 50 articles have now been produced, each devoted to a specific topic, and this book is a compilation of those articles assembled to shed light on Ireland’s agricultural and rural past.  It does not pretend to be systematically comprehensive but we hope it will prove to be interesting and eye-opening.  The articles attempt to assemble reasonably up-to-date information about the various archaeological traces, supported by images, a summary of diagnostic features and a list of publications where additional information may be sourced.  The contributions have proved to be useful for landowners wishing to check on specific features they have encountered, for students or teachers seeking a quick and reliable introduction to specific topics, for archaeologists trying to contextualise discoveries in the field and for dilettantes in providing a miscellany of old reliables and unexpected treats.  As some of the articles were originally produced more than ten years ago, we apologise for any resultant omissions.

Many readers will jump directly to those articles that are of specific interest to them and, for that reason each article is preceded by a summary to indicate its contents. For those wishing to read more systematically, the volume is divided into seven thematic sections, each with its own introduction and containing articles that are relevant to the theme as follows:

Section I—Agriculture and Food, Section II— Settlement, Section III—Travel and transport, Section IV—Local enterprises, Section V—Coastal features, Section VI—Ritual locations

432 pages, Size 168 x 245mm, NOW  IN PAPERBACK ONLY

€25

FROM A REVIEW IN the IRISH EXAMINER, 24.04.2018

'The authors have done a major service to the study of early Irish antiquities. This book is likely to inspire future generations of archaeologists in more revelatory discoveries. Hats off.'  Dan McCarthy