Abstract
IN 1935 the Government of Northern Ireland, agreed to pay 60 percent of the wages of unemployed labourers engaged for the purpose of archæological excavation, up to a total sum of £500. Later the percentage was raised to 80. This method of dealing with the then acute problem of unemployment was to some extent copied from that already in operation in the Irish Free State. As a result, much valuable excavation was undertaken in 1935 and succeeding years, and important information has come to light. More particularly have the various museums and archæological societies, which have taken advantage of the opportunity, concentrated on the study of the North Irish megalithic monuments. Ireland's geographical position is such that the island was a very important area in the days when the megalith builders were wandering about parts of western Europe. Northern Ireland has its full share of these monuments. Then again, Northern Ireland has yielded important Mesolithic industries, the study of which is still incomplete. Nor must relics of later periods be forgotten, and crannogs, earth-forts, etc., have received attention. Further, it has been realized that excavation without subsequent publication is of little worth.
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Archæological Research in Ulster. Nature 152, 561–562 (1943). https://doi.org/10.1038/152561c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/152561c0