Joseph Fenwick

Joe Fenwick is the Archaeological Field Officer (Senior Technical Officer) in the School of Geography, Archaeology and Irish Studies, University of Galway. He received BA degree in Archaeology/Greek & Roman Civilizationfrom UCD in 1991 and an MA degree in Archaeology from UCG (NUI Galway/University of Galway) in 1997, the title of his thesis being A study of Rathra: a multivallate enclosure in Co. Roscommon. Prior to joining the Department of Archaeology, University of Galway, firstly as a research and teaching assistant and currently as its Archaeological Field Officer, Joe contributed to a number of major research projects including Knowth Excavations (UCD), The Tara Survey (The Discovery Programme) and the ArchaeoGeophysical Imaging Project (NUI Galway/University of Galway). He also worked for a number of years in the commercial sector, trading under the name ArchaeoLogical. As Archaeological Field Officer (Senior Technical Officer) he specialises in the area of field research, scientific survey techniques and GIS with a particular interest in the Late Prehistoric royal sites of Rathcroghan, Co. Roscommon and Tara, Co. Meath, in addition to the Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site, Co. Meath. He is currently engaged in experimental archaeological research on the subject of Crafting the Knowth macehead. Joe is a member of the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland (IAI), the Meath Archaeological and Historical Society (MAHS) and the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (RSAI), serving as its Vice President for Connacht in 2022-23. Joe was appointed a Company Member of the Discovery Programme in 2023. He is also member of the Operational Advisory Group to the Farming Rathcroghan Project: sustainable farming in the Rathcroghan archaeological landscape. Formerly a European Innovation Project (EIP-AGRI) funded through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Farming Rathcroghan is currently funded through the Just Transition Fund until the end of March 2026.

The archaeology of Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site (see: The Brú na Bóinne Research Project).

The archaeology of the Late Prehistoric Irish royal sites, most particularly Rathcroghan, Co. Roscommon and Tara, Co. Meath (see: The Connacht Project).

An experimental exploration of the manufacture of the Knowth Maesmor-type macehead (see: Crafting the Knowth macehead: an experimental exploration of a unique Neolithic artefact).

Contributing introductory tutorials and field-classes to AR1106 Sites and Monuments in the Landscape as part of the 1st Year BA teaching programme. Contributing tutorials as part of AR245 Archaeology in Practice for 2nd Year BA students. Teaching practical courses in Digital Archaeological Field Survey and An Introduction to ArcGIS for Archaeologists (as part of AR6105 GIS and Landscape Archaeology) and contributing to AR622 Presenting Landscapes for students of the MA in Landscape, Archaeology & Heritage. Contributing to online teaching (Rathcroghan and Brú na Bóinne) as part of the Online Diploma in Archaeology, AR8115 Irish Archaeology. Coordinating and teaching of archaeological field survey classes, with supporting class demonstrations, lectures and software tuition as part of Structured PhD courses (AR6103 Introduction to Digital Surveying: Total Station; SPA451 Introduction to Digital Surveying: Trimble GPS). Teaching introductory courses in Structure-from-motion Photogrammetry and Laser-scanning using NextEngine for postgraduate students of Archaeology.