SS116 The Archaeological Heritage of Ireland

Ireland's archaeological heritage is one of the richest in Western Europe. The development of prehistoric Irish societies can be seen in the megalithic tombs of the Neolithic, the wealth of bronze and gold in the succeeding Bronze Age, and in the great royal sites such as Tara and Navan, of the Celtic Iron Age. From the Early Christian Period, monastic ruins and high crosses survive at sites such as Clonmacnoise, while the finds from Dublin tell us of the Viking raids and settlement. The remains of later earth and timber fortifications and stone castles reveal the story of the Anglo-Norman invasion and subsequent power struggles. This course charts the evidence for human societies in Ireland over ten millennia from the island's initial colonization by small groups of hunter-gatherers, through to the Medieval period. The archaeology of the entire island of Ireland will be covered with particular emphasis on the archaeology of the Burren, a remarkable upland area just south of Galway where archaeological remains of all periods are well preserved and visible.

NUI Galway is ideally positioned amongst some of Ireland?s most well-preserved archaeological landscapes and this course includes two trips to the nearby Burren region to visit some of the prehistoric and historic period sites which are highlighted in the lectures.