‘Crossing Points: River-fords and the study of historic landscapes’ is a free public lecture by archaeologist Paul Gosling at the Harbour Hotel, this Monday, February 12, at 8pm.
There will be a particular focus on Co Galway at this event, organised by the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society.
River-fords are a common but half-forgotten feature of the Irish countryside; their positions recalled only by Áth placenames, historic maps and local memory. Their existence is often overlooked by archaeologists, and act as a mere backdrop for historians. Yet fords offer great potential for historic geography and landscape archaeology, providing insights into travel, community interaction, settlement patterns and warfare of the past.
Gosling, formerly of Atlantic Technological University, will explore the characteristics of historic fords and offer advice on their identification.
