This palaeolimnological investigation represents the first detailed study of Lough Lugh, a small lake at the centre of the monument complex on the Hill of Uisneach, Co. Westmeath, Ireland, and ostensible site of the god Lugh’s demise. This lake history study is a continuation and expansion of the multi-proxy research undertaken as part of the Discovery Programme’s Late Iron Age and ‘Roman’ Ireland (LIARI) project, published in 2014. This paper presents high resolution chironomid sampling and a full evaluation of the pollen data to include aquatic pollen types. Geochemical indicators (C:N ratios, δ15N and δ13C isotopes) were also added to the suite of proxies. Further fieldwork included stratigraphical investigations along two transects of trial cores across the lake to gain a more holistic representation of the lakebed stratigraphy.
Chironomid and pollen evidence shows that the lake was an open water system in the Late-glacial/Early Holocene but that the lake had begun infilling in the Early Holocene. The dominance of terrestrial/semi-terrestrial chironomid taxa, the spike in C:N values and the near absence of lake aquatics and algae demonstrate that a marshland had formed by c. 8300 BC. The changes in chironomid and pollen taxa in addition to abrupt changes in C:N ratios, δ15N and LOI values, show that lake sediment was removed by human endeavour to initiate a return to open water conditions. The results of this more exhaustive investigation in conjunction with the archaeological, mythological, folk history and place name evidence, suggests that the lake may have been dug out in medieval times. However, this was possibly only one in a series of dig outs in the lake’s history. It is suggested here that as the existing lake is anthropogenic in origin and most likely had some symbolic significance, Lough Lugh can be considered an archaeological site or monument.

Location

Norcroft Centre, University of Bradford