Ancient Ireland : Life Before the Celts

by Laurence, Flanagan

• ISBN13: 9780312218812
• ISBN10: 0312218818
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-02-15
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

When the Celts first arrived in Ireland around 250BC, the island had already been inhabited for over 7,000 years. These pre-Celtic peoples have left no written records, but they have left extensive archaeological evidence, of which Newgrange is the most celebrated example. Who were these peoples and how did they live? Using archaeological evidence, Laurence Flanagan pieces together the sort of houses they built, the way they cultivated the land, their social and economic systems, and many other aspects of daily life in pre-Celtic Ireland. Combining scholarship with an accessible style, the book provides a unique and fascinating insight into a lost, fabled world.

Author Biography

Laurence Flanagan is an archaeologist and a former Keeper of Antiquities at the Ulster Museum, UK. He is the author of A Dictionary of Irish Archaeology.

Table of Contents

List of Plates and Acknowledgments	viii
Part 1: The Archaeology	3	(138)
1. Introduction	3	(13)
Archaeological evidence	4	(2)
Artefacts into archaeology	6	(6)
Chronology	12	(4)
2. The Mesolithic Period, 8000-4000 BC	16	(15)
The post-glacial landscape	16	(2)
The possible sources of Mesolithic colonists	18	(1)
The dating of the Irish Mesolithic Period	19	(1)
The exploitation of natural resources	19	(1)
The Early Mesolithic Period	20	(6)
The Later Mesolithic Period	26	(5)
3. The Neolithic Period, 4000-2000 BC	31	(14)
Livestock	31	(2)
Crops	33	(1)
Life-style	34	(7)
Settlement sites	41	(3)
Burial sites	44	(1)
4. The Court Tombs	45	(16)
Distribution	45	(2)
Layout	47	(3)
Sizes	50	(1)
Siting	51	(1)
Construction	51	(2)
Purpose	53	(1)
Grave-goods and other finds	54	(1)
Portal tombs	55	(2)
Stone circles	57	(1)
Linkardstown cists	58	(3)
5. The Passage Tombs	61	(17)
Diversity	61	(3)
Newgrange	64	(5)
Knowth	69	(6)
General finds	75	(2)
Sites related to passage tombs	77	(1)
6. Beakers and the Bronze Age	78	(24)
Beaker pottery in Ireland	82	(2)
Beaker-compatible material	84	(6)
Beaker sources	90	(8)
Settlement sites	98	(4)
7. The Earlier Bronze Age, 2000-1200 BC	102	(31)
Pottery	102	(9)
Graves and cemeteries	111	(7)
Metalwork	118	(7)
Flintwork	125	(1)
Stonework	126	(1)
Other items	127	(1)
Decoration	127	(1)
Stone moulds	128	(4)
Dwelling-sites	132	(1)
8. The Later Bronze Age, 1200-700 BC	133	(8)
Part 2: The Social Prehistory	141	(93)
Introduction	141	(2)
9. Society	143	(23)
Population	143	(5)
The family	148	(4)
The organisation of society	152	(6)
Violence and warfare	158	(4)
Wealth	162	(4)
10. Industry	166	(18)
Housing	166	(4)
Construction	170	(4)
Transport	174	(2)
Quarrying and mining	176	(8)
11. Manufacturing	184	(16)
The fabrication of flint and stone implements	184	(2)
Metalworking	186	(10)
Woodworking and carpentry	196	(4)
12. The Food Industry	200	(8)
Fishing and hunting	200	(1)
Stock-rearing	201	(4)
Agriculture	205	(1)
Food preparation	205	(3)
13. Nutrition and Health	208	(3)
Nutrition	208	(1)
Health	209	(2)
14. Domestic and Personal Life	211	(10)
Domestic life	211	(2)
Personal dress and adornment	213	(7)
Entertainment and hospitality	220	(1)
15. Religion and the Arts	221	(7)
Art	221	(3)
Music	224	(1)
Religion	225	(3)
16. Technology and Science	228	(4)
Technology	228	(2)
Astronomy	230	(1)
Education	231	(1)
17. The Environment	232	(2)
Climate	232	(2)
Glossary	234	(6)
Sources	240	(12)
Index to Places in Ireland	252	(6)
Index of Objects	258