Stone Age:
7000-2000BC
Mesolithic Period:
The Mesolithic Period is also
known as the Middle Stone Age.
It was between the Paleolithic
Period (Old Stone Age) and the
Neolithic Period (New Stone
Age).
The people of the time were
mainly nomadic, which means
they didn’t stay very long in one
place.
•Their diets consisted of fish, berries, seeds, grasses,
nuts, seasonal vegetables etc.
•They were known as ‘HUNTERS and GATHERERS’.
•They used little in the way of equipment.
•They kept the land untouched and generally in its
natural state other than the fact that the skinned
animals for their clothing and temporary homes.
•The earliest known settlings were from Mount
Sandel in Co. Down.
Neolithic Period, 4000-2000BC:
Around 3700BC, a new tribe travelled to Ireland from the Continent and
through Scotland. These people brought new tools, livestock and
farming knowledge.
FARMING SEPERATES THE MESOLITHIC AND
NEOLITHIC
The main difference between the native people and this
new tribe was their methods and knowledge of farming.
They cultivated the land with new tools and weapons that
they created with stone and wood.
They found rich soil and abundant wildlife.
•They caused disruption to the un touched land , clearing the
forestry and cultivating the earth:
Tillage:
Preparation of soil-over turning, digging and stirring land.
TOOLS:
•Wood and stone were the primary materials available for building and
making tools and weapons.
•Hard stone like flint was broken down and sharpened to create sharp edges
for cutting, scoring and skinning and chiselling:
to protect
To prepare food
To cut trees
To decorate.
CLOTHING: Animal skins
HOMES: Domestic buildings were generally round, made
with stone, mud, wood and a thatched roof.
CRAFT: Clay was dug and built into a variety of simple
pots to hold oats and herbs, which were fired on an open
fire.
Task: Using the small pieces of stone students must
imitate the tribes of the Neolithic period and try to
carve out shapes in the clay.
•In time a new landscape began to emerge from
the old.
•People began to prosper but the life of a
Neolithic man was still a hard one and death was
a constant in the everyday lives of these tribes.
•The life expectancy of a Neolithic Man was 36
years.
•This tribe and culture put a huge importance on
life after death, building chambers older than the
pyramids of Egypt.
•Building imposing structures from large stones.
Portal Dolmen:
The simplest form of these chambers were the PORTAL
DOLMEN.
Brief Structure:
•3 to 7 standing stones.
•1 large captone at the top.
•Usually is on a mount of stones
which is known as a cairn.
•No decoration.
Example : Poulnabrone Portal
Dolmen, Co. Clare.
•The location of this dramatic structure on a low hill suggests it
was designed to be seen from a great distance and to be the
main visual focus of the surrounding area. During excavations,
the remains of 22 adults, children and babies were found in
the burial chamber. The bodies were not cremated.
Function: Above-ground burial chamber.
Structure: This portal dolmen consists of a large capstone
resting on two large upright stones, two more orthostats and
an endstone.
It is surrounded by an oval-shaped cairn or moundof stones
that helps to hold it in place.
Structure:
This portal dolmen consists of a
large capstone resting on two large
upright stones, two more
orthostats and an endstone.
It is surrounded by an oval-shaped
cairn or mound of stones that
helps to hold it in place.
Capstone
Standing stones: Lower
back stone
Supporting stone roof.
Task: Using the pieces of clay in
front of you and your ‘flint’, try and
imagine the life of a Neolithic man
or woman and dig into the clay
with the stone.
Homework: For next class, using the notes and the
aid of your book describe the civilisation of the
Neolithic period and Portal Dolmen, its function
and structure.
• Include annotated sketches and plenty of
description.
•2-3 paragraphs long and 2-3 detailed sketches.
