The Stone Age Ireland

The Stone Age Ireland

1. Megalithic=10000-7000BC Mesolithic=7000-3700 BC NeolIthic= 3700-2000BC

2. Earliest traces of Man in Ireland Mesolithic Came from Europe through scotland simple hunter gatherers

   • Strong belief in life after death
     • Portal Dolmens Court Cairns Passage Tomb
       • Portal Dolmens Kilcooney, Co.Donegal Brownes Hill, Co Carlow
         • Heavy Capstone sloping downwards towards back supported by 3 to 7 standing stones
       • Court Cairns Creevykeel, Co.Sligo
         • semi-circular forecourt-circle of standing stones leading to a larger central court there the burial chamber is situated
       • Passage graves Newgrange, Co.Meath Knowth, Co.Meath Dowth, Co.Meath
         • NEWGRANGE 3200 BC
           • Form/Structure Aboveground passage and chambers covered by a mound of earth and stones
           • surrounded by a circle of kerbstones and large standing stones
           • Building technique Corbel Vaulting
           • Function - Burial Chamber, Place of worship, Astronomical connections/time, sun position
           • Decoration Entrance stone, passage stone and roof stone Carving/incision abstract, geometric motifs, circles, u shaped arcs, parallel lines, spirals, ovals, lozenges, dots.
           • Key Points Shows earliest Art work in Ireland Highly skilled and organised Newgrange larges and best example discoverd and excavated in 1963
           • Mound Measures 85 metres in diameter and 6 metres in height Roof box situated above the entrance A kerb of massive stones surround the mound. 97 in total. some are decorated, eg entrance stone, kerbstone 52. outer surround of tall monoliths originally 35 only 12 still standing.
             • Basin stone In the chamber large stones were found, sunken in the centre. They were used to hold the remains of the dead
           • Passage is over 60 metres long which is cruciform in shape The Mound is made up of water rolled pebbles with whie quartz used as an outer finish.
           • Winter solstice Above the entrance there is the roof box. Its purpose is to allow sunlight to penetrate the chamber on the shortest day of the year, December 21st.
             • At Dawn a narrow beam of light extends gradually into the inner chambers. it lasts for 17 minutes.

Bilder und Dateien der Mindmap