A multiproxy approach to reconstructing surface wetness changes and prehistoric bog bursts in a raised mire system at Derryville Bog, Co. Tipperary, Ireland

Abstract

Multiproxy analyses comprising peat stratigraphy, testate amoebae, pollen and humification analyses from four profiles across a complex raised mire system at Derryville Bog, Co. Tipperary, Ireland are used to demonstrate the surface wetness changes covering the period cal. BC 1500 to cal AD 1000, with special reference to a series of bog bursts identified within the stratigraphic record. Comparison of the proxies reveals varying levels and forms of response to the bursts depending on the size of the burst and the relative location of the site, and reinforces the necessity for such detailed studies in reconstructing the full palaeohydrological history of large and complex sites. Because of the heavily cut-over nature of the bog the availability of extensive sections from which peat-stratigraphic data can be obtained also reinforces the inherent weakness in relying on coring data when trying to understand the complex structure of such large systems.