1- Iron Age - Celts? // Iron Age Ireland

first two lectures // first week

ireland’s early quick overview

• early mesolithic (8000 - 6000 BC) first settlers arrive

• late mesolithic (5500 - 4000 BC) survive until here; stone age; hunter-gatherer

• neolithic (4000 - 2500 BC) introduction to faming, animals; no longer nomadic; permanent housing; pottery; ritual and burial stone monuments (megalithic)

• bronze age (2500 - 600 BC) intro to metal, copper, gold, tin; creation of weapons; emergence of hostility;

• iron age (6th century BC - 5th century AD) warrior elite; era of ‘celts’; royal sites

• early medieval (5th - 12th century AD) Christianity and early monasteries; anglonormans arrive later - era of written records; golden age - great treasures, overglorified by people trying to create a glorious past during fight for independence

• viking era (late 8th century)

• medieval ireland (high medieval 1100-1380 , late 1380-1580/1600, post 1580 - 1600) anglonormans arrive 1169-1350

‘celts’ and ‘vikings’ eras

celts → iron age

vikings → early medieval

the iron age time

6th century BC - 5th century AD

two main frameworks for irish iron age

1. halstatt, austria

   1. earlier phase

2. la tene, switzerland

   1. later phase, more aligned with typical ‘celtic’ design

origin of the word ‘celt’

• greeks would use the word to describe any outsider

the idea of a unified celtic people was developed in the __ century when significant discoveries of distinctive material were made at __ and __

17th - 19th

halstatt

la tene

the celtic revival

• late 19th century

• in 18th - 10th century, Ireland sought independence from Britain and chose ‘Celtic’ as a distinct identity opposed to English identity

iron age settlement

• not visible above ground

• excavated along roadways (linear findings)

  • varied, diverse evidence

iron age enclosures

• single hosue

• ordinary famers

• circular (dug ditch defining space or fence)

• named after townland names / where excavated

garretstown 2, lismullin 1, meath

morett 4, parknahown, laois

hill tara

• royal site

• filled with lots of burial and ritual sites

• also has rath of the synods (habitat and craft activity)

• rath of the synods

  • rath = enclosure

  • synods = meeting of bishops

• 3rd/4th century AD

• phase 4

• most royal sites are for burial and ritual, but not this one

  • this one points to habitation and craft activity

• it is disturbed because of British Israelite excavation when they tried to find the Ark of the Covenant here

• goods were found here

  • bracelets, roman seals for documents (suggests contact w roman empire and outside world [makes sense bc of water] and suggests literacy)

object findings at Rath of the Synods

unenclosed houses

• round houses (family homes)

  • popular in england

  • stone walls, stone ovens

• good findings for excavations because stone lasts; wood houses w organic roofs aren’t found but ovens are

roundhouse

roundhouse

oppida

• continental europe style house

• NOT in ireland

• they’re large, many houses,

• ‘early towns of europe’

• you’d expect that if celts invaded from europe you’d see some of this, but we don’t see this in ireland

field systems

• show evidence for farming in the iron age

• enclosed spaces used for growing crops and keeping animals

  • animal husbandry and cereal cultivation

• more proof that farming was the main way of life

• evident in corn-drying kilns!

  • @ least 27 in iron age excavated

  • proof of cereal cultivation

field systems (barrees, cork)

corn-drying kilns

• iron age proof of cereal cultivation!

unenclosed metalworking pits, hearths (furnace), charcoal-production

• at least 36!

• dug in the ground

• found scattered

  • probably because they are built where metal is harvested

burnt spreads/mounds

• minimum 16 excavated

• originated in bronze age! shows continuity

• used for cooking outside

  • giant fire, put stones, dig hole for water, boil w/stones, cook, toss rocks,

  • the mound forms from the built up stones

pottery

• disappears in the iron age

  • this is uncommon compared to other places

• rather, wood, leather, metal vessels were used

  • more durable

  • continued into the medieval period

quern stones

• used for grinding cereal

• beehive quern

beehive quern

• more than 200 examples

• we know it’a iron age because of the carvings and art on it which is obvious at this time

  • la tene

horse bit

• metal object (mainly bronze) for horses

• put in horses mouth

• for weathy

• decorated in iron age art

  • decorated for showing off

• mainly warrior elite ornamenting themselves and their horses

weapons

• swords

• spearheads + butts

• shields

swords

• 30 known examples

• Irish Blades

  • short compared to british

  • probably because fighting on foot in ireland vs on horse in britain

  • bronze handles survive as proof

spears

• spearbutt + spearhead

  • for military and hunting

  • mostly plain, some decorated

shields

• clonoura shield

  • alder, oak handle, covered in leather (to absorb blows)

  • found preserved in a bog

    • littleton bog, tipperary

personal ornaments

• torcs

• fibulae

• swan-necked and ring pins

torc

• neck ornament

• not unique to Ireland, but Irish design is unique

• In Ireland, it’s mainly gold and worn by the wealthy

• disappear w/Christianity

the dying gaul

• a statue which portrays a torc, showing that the torc isn’t unique to ireland

• roman marble copy of greek statue

fibulae

• brooches

• found across Europe

pins of iron age

• not unique to ireland

  • not the same as ringed pins

• swan necked and ring pins

La Tene Art

• appears after mid 5th century BC

• origins in Rhineland and eastern france

• characterized by

  • palmettes, tendrils, lotus flowers, spirals, S and C scrolls, lyre and trumpet shapes

  • interpretations found across europe (not a copy but a version)

classical elements of la tene art

vegetal and foliage designs

etruscan elements of la tene art

human faces or masks

scythian elements of la tene art

elements of oriental animal art

Iron Age Hoards

• Shows ritual activities

• burying valuables/offerings

  • thanksgiving / asking for something

broighter hoard

• all gold objects

• found in 1896 at Broighter, Co Derry

• found in bog land (originally a lake)

  • offering into water

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gold objects:

• small gold boat, small model of cauldron, complete torc, 2 necklaces (not made in ireland!), the great torc,

somerset hoard

• found in galway near clontuskert

• torc, pin, fibulae (?), small decorated disks, container decorated?

• BRONZE

• contrasting from Broighter which is all gold!

‘celtic’ cult of the head

• found throughout europe

• iron age obsession w heads

• many carved stone heads found

  • maybe shows shared culture / religious beliefs

corleck head, cavan

• 3 heads on one

• maybe a depiction of a deity

tanderagee idol, armagh

• another head statue, arm grasping the other

• similar figure is found in holzgerlingen, germany

• shows another continental link

boa island, fermanagh

two faced stone statue

• shows head statuev

carved stone pillars

• unique to ireland!

• turoe stone, galway

• castlestrange, roscommon

• Kermaria Stone, Brittany

Turoe Stone, Galway

• example of carved pillar stone

• unique to ireland

• carved in granite

• decorated in la tene art

castlestrange, roscommon

• rounded boulder

• also decorated in la tene art

• example of carved pillar stone

kermaria stone, France

• another example of carved pillar stone

• semi similar but different art style

  • so we know the others are unique to ireland

continental europe burials vs ireland

continental→

• had princely burials

• deceased laid on vessels

ireland →

• ring barrows

  • more modest

  • circular burials, mound, ditch

  • maybe cremations

cloncurry, kildaire ring ditch

• cremations

• example of ring barrow

burnt/cremated and unburnt/inhumation

• there were both burnt / cremated remains

• as well as unburnt and skeleton remains

• this could be a sign of differing religious beliefs