Crannogs are island dwellings that were built in lakes and mires. They have a distinct ‘celtic’ distribution with 1500 known sites in Ireland and 400 in Scotland (but only one in Wales and none in England). They were constructed from ca. 2500 years ago and used up until the Medieval Period. Crannogs can have remarkable preservation, because they are largely under water. This also makes them difficult to study as it requires diving and underwater excavation, and despite their widespread occurrence little is known about them. What were they used for, by whom, and for how long?

An example of a crannog

Reconstruction of a crannog in book by Wood-Martin (1886)

Crannog excavation

Intrigued by crannogs? So are we. Over the next few years we will continue to analyse samples from sediment cores and excavations to learn more about the use and longevity of crannogs.