Destruction by documentation.

That is the fate awaiting a newly discovered ancient henge which lies directly in the path of the M3 motorway currently under construction in the Gabhra valley.

It’s simple. First, you document the site. Take photos, samples, measurements, drawings. Then, you wipe it from the face of the earth. This is the trend in Irish archaeology, a field in which a majority of the trained professionals are now funded by private developers and construction companies. In the developer-driven scenario, everything is fair game. It is the builder who has control over whether information about archaeological discoveries can be disseminated to the media while excavation is in progress.