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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R1631NBE: CHRONO Institute for Heritage and Environmental Science
Gleeson, P. (PI), Blaauw, M. (CoI), Brandherm, D. (CoI), Meharg, A. (CoI), Plunkett, G. (CoI) & Reimer, P. (CoI)
22/03/2022 → 28/02/2023
Project: Research
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Adaptations in ancient oasis woodlands of the hyper-arid Tarim Basin, northwestern China: charcoal and coprolite analyses
Li, K., Shao, K., Yang, Y., Plunkett, G., Spengler, R., Xu, B., Wu, Y., Tian, X., Wei, D., Wang, C., Shao, H., Mu, G., Jia, H., Li, W., Feng, J., Qin, X. & Liu, J., 28 Mar 2026, In: Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. 18, 85.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Link opens in a new tab Citation (Scopus)7 Downloads (Pure) -
A multi-scalar palynological investigation of plant- and land-use at a Mesolithic occupation site in central Ireland
Perkins, J. P., Plunkett, G., Basell, L. S. & Stuijts, I., 01 May 2026, In: Vegetation History and Archaeobotany. 35, 3, p. 503-522 20 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile35 Downloads (Pure) -
Decoupling climate and human impacts on the nitrogen cycle during the Irish Bronze Age
Ferrandin, S., Plunkett, G. & Ogle, N., Jul 2026, In: Journal of Quaternary Science. 41, 5, p. 672-685 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile10 Downloads (Pure) -
Reduction of Silk Road exchange corresponds with a decrease in hydraulic output of major dryland rivers in northwest China
Li, K., Yin, Z., Zhang, L., Spengler, R., Wang, Y. V., Qin, X., Xu, B., Gu, Z., Mu, G., Wu, Y., Tian, X., Wei, D., Wang, C., Shao, H., Jia, H., Li, W., Feng, J., Plunkett, G. & Liu, J., 11 May 2026, In: Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory. 33, 3, 26 p., 55.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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‘The most advanced outpost of cultivation’: palynological evidence for cereal agriculture and population resilience in a marginal upland environment
Essell, H. & Plunkett, G., 17 Aug 2026, (Accepted) In: Journal of Quaternary Science.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Activities
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The final resting place of Ballymacombs Woman: a palaeoenvironmental perspective
Plunkett, G. (Speaker)
28 Mar 2026Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation
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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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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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