Archaeological Licenses indicate that in 2011 archaeological activity in Ireland continued to contract for the fifth year.
Figures provided by the National Monuments Service indicate that the total number of archaeological excavation licenses issued for the year 2011 was 558. This is a reduction of 19.6% from the 694 licenses issued in 2010 and indicates that both archaeological investigations and the construction activity that they relate to have continued to decline. This represents a drop of 73% from the peak of archaeological activity in 2006. As indicated in my previous blog on the topic (Archaeological Licenses: a Real-time Indicator of Construction Output) excavation license and construction output show a high degree of correlation and it is anticipated that this almost 20% drop in archaeological activity will be mirrored by a similar drop in construction activity for 2011 as a whole. In view of the current economic trends, with Irish GDP now forecast to be below 1%, the introduction of further austerity measures, uncertainty over the future of the Euro and the possibility of a Eurozone recession, there is likely to be a further decrease in archaeological activity during 2012.
Cite this post as:
Mount, C. Excavation Licenses indicate continued reduction in archaeological and construction activity in 2011. The Charles Mount Blog, January 12, 2012. http://charles-mount.ie/wp/?p=700