Understanding Pressures to Archaeological Heritage in the Face of Climate Change: An Integrated Approach to Coastal-Zone Assessments in Ireland

Abstract

Coastal heritage and archaeological sites are part of a complex system of socioenvironmental processes whose conditions are placed at risk from increasing climate-change pressures and impacts. Cultural-heritage managers are working to increase understanding of these pressures and create ways to assess, mitigate, and/or adapt to change. Coastal-zone assessments (CZA) are a recognized methodology in several national management plans to gather detailed data in order to provide an informed assessment of current resources and any associated hazards and risks. A collaborative and innovative partnership is seeking to expand on current CZA models by integrating social, historical, and geomorphological criteria into archaeological site assessment, with aims toward the development of a resource-priority index for coastal-heritage managers in Ireland.