Projects per year
Personal profile
Interests
Gill Plunkett is an archaeologist and palaeoecologist with a specific interest in understanding human-environment interactions in the past. As an archaeologist, Gill has worked on Irish prehistoric and Medieval sites, and has several years experience of wetland archaeology survey and recording. Her palaeoecological expertise includes palynology and plant macrofossil analysis (peatland and archaeobotanical), as well as the application of tephrochronology as both a dating and correlation method and a means of examining volcanic impacts on climate and society. While much of her research is based on Irish bogs, her tephra work extends to polar ice cores, the Caspian Sea and lakes and bogs in North America, Kamchatka and southeast Asia.
Current research projects
Co-Investigator on University of Southampton-led and AHRC-funded Waves of Colonisation in the Sea of Moyle project
Co-Investigator on the University of Lund-led and Swedish Research Council-funded VolcVarve project
Teaching
ARP1006 Ancient Humans and Landscapes
ARP1007 Environmental Change: Past, Present and Future
ARP2041 Ireland in Prehistory
ARP2051 Palaeoenvironmental Techniques
ARP3080 Volcanoes: Environmental and Societal Impacts
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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R1988NBE: Late-Pleistocene to Holocene tephrostratigraphy over continental China
Sun, C. (Named Researcher) & Plunkett, G. (PI)
21/11/2018 → 28/02/2021
Project: Research
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R1991NBE: Waves of Colonization and the Sea of Moyle: Linking Population History, Resilience and Landscape Change of Island Communities
Plunkett, G. (PI) & Gleeson, P. (CoI)
27/02/2019 → 31/01/2023
Project: Research
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R1169GFS: Queen’s University Belfast and University of Aberdeen Research and Training in Life and Environmental Sciences (QUARTILES)
Helyar, S. (PI), Clements, A. (CoI), Emmerson, M. (CoI), McMullan, G. (CoI), Morgan, E. (CoI), Murphy, E. (CoI), Plunkett, G. (CoI) & Swindles, G. (CoI)
14/10/2025 → …
Project: Research
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A multi-scalar palynological investigation of plant- and land-use at a Mesolithic occupation site in central Ireland
Perkins, J., Plunkett, G., Basell, L. S. & Stuijts, I., 01 Oct 2025, (Accepted) In: Vegetation History and Archaeobotany.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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A palaeoecology of upland transhumance sites: a long view on the timing, economy and environmental impact of seasonal settlement sites in the Mourne Mountains, Northern Ireland
Essell, H. & Plunkett, G., 13 Oct 2025, In: Landscape Ecology. 40, 18 p., 194.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure) -
Archaeology of Cavan Burren Park
Plunkett, G. & Cleary, K., 01 Sept 2025, The Quaternary of west County Cavan. IQUA field guide no. 38. Smazal, R., Knight, J. & Plunkett, G. (eds.). Belfast: Irish Quaternary Association, p. 92-103 (IQUA Field Guide; no. 38).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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Challenges in dating blanket peat and implications for understanding its initiation in Ireland
Essell, H., Plunkett, G. & Blaauw, M., Aug 2025, In: Journal of Quaternary Science. 40, 6, p. 996-1009 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus)16 Downloads (Pure) -
Climate and water-table levels regulate peat accumulation rates across Europe
Swindles, G. T., Mullan, D. J., Brannigan, N. T., Fewster, R. E., Sim, T. G., Gallego-Sala, A., Blaauw, M., Lamentowicz, M., Jassey, V. E. J., Marcisz, K., Green, S. M., Roland, T. P., Loisel, J., Amesbury, M. J., Blundell, A., Chambers, F. M., Charman, D. J., Evans, C. R. C., Feurdean, A. & Galloway, J. M. & 16 others, , 23 Jul 2025, In: PLOS ONE. 20, 7 July, 16 p., e0327422.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile16 Downloads (Pure)
Activities
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The impact of climate change on peatlands
Plunkett, G. (Invited speaker)
09 Oct 2025Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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A paleo-Anthropocene in Ireland? Irish Bronze Age sedimentary and faunal evidence
Ferrandin, S. (Keynote speaker), Plunkett, G. (Advisor), Britton, K. (Advisor) & Ogle, N. (Advisor)
18 Jul 2023Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited or keynote talk at national or international conference
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XXI INQUA Congress
Plunkett, G. (Session chair), Davies, S. (Session chair), Andrea, B. (Session chair), Sigl, M. (Session chair) & McConnell, J. R. (Session chair)
14 Jul 2023 → 20 Jul 2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
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Land-Use and Climate Changes during the Irish Bronze Age: What can the Nitrogen Cycle Tell Us?
Ferrandin, S. (Presenter), Plunkett, G. (Advisor), Britton, K. (Advisor) & Ogle, N. (Advisor)
25 Mar 2023Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation
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Changements climatiques et exploitation des terres en Irlande à l’âge du bronze
Ferrandin, S. (Advisor), Plunkett, G. (Advisor), Britton, K. (Advisor) & Ogle, N. (Advisor)
24 Nov 2022Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation
Press/Media
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Peat Uncovers a Uniquely Resilient Irish Community
25/05/2022
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Other
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Coverage of research on Antrim Uplands (BBC Newsline)
05/05/2022
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Other
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Climate and Society: Royal Irish Society podcast series
24/11/2021
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities
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