The last in a trilogy of monographs designed to provide a baseline survey of the prehistoric sites of Northern Ireland, this monograph considers the prehistoric artefacts that have been found in Northern Ireland. It aims to provide a basis for further research, and also to stimulate local interest in the prehistory of Northern Ireland.
Much has been written about the history of Northern Ireland, but less well-known is its wealth of prehistoric sites, from which most of our knowledge of the early inhabitants of this country has been obtained. Until recently, the greatest sources for this information were prehistoric burial sites, which have been visible in our landscape for thousands of years and have attracted the attention of inquisitive people throughout this time, often removing items, or adding others and in doing so, making it difficult for later generations to sift through the evidence. Fortunately, sketches, notes and artefacts have been gathered by Ordnance Survey surveyors, antiquarians and archaeological and historical societies and these continue to be interrogated by modern archaeologists in their search for understanding. A further problem has been the dependence on information about prehistoric societies from their burial sites. Very few sites where these people lived and worked were visible above ground and as a consequence, little was known about them. However, during the last few decades, large-scale infrastructure projects and associated archaeological investigation has revealed a wealth of information. Much of the detail has still to be published and made available for research, but has already enriched understanding of our prehistoric past. This monograph brings together information on all the currently known sites in Northern Ireland that are in some way associated with prehistoric life. It has been compiled from a number of sources and includes many that have only recently been discovered. A total of 1580 monuments are recorded in the inventory, ranging from burnt mounds to hillforts. In addition to providing an inventory of all known sites, along with a selection of photographs and plans, the work also includes an introduction to the prehistory of Northern Ireland, an explanation of terms and a full bibliography. It should be considered alongside an earlier work by the same authors on prehistoric burial sites in Northern Ireland (The Prehistoric Burial Sites of Northern Ireland, Archaeopress Archaeology 2014). The aim is to provide a foundation for more specific research projects, based on a standardised format for this largely untapped resource and stimulate a renewed interest in the prehistory of Northern Ireland. Hopefully, this can then be considered along with our knowledge of the historical period to provide a more complete overview of the story of human activity in what is now Northern Ireland.
Much has been written about the history of Northern Ireland, but less well-known is its wealth of prehistoric sites, particularly burial sites, from which most of our knowledge of the early inhabitants of this country has been obtained.
This monograph brings together information on all the currently known sites in Northern Ireland that are in some way associated with prehistoric life. Compiled from a number of sources, it includes many that have only recently been discovered. A total of 1580 monuments are recorded in the inventory, ranging from burnt mounds to hillforts.
This lavishly illustrated volume presents a state of the art survey of the ancient rock art of Britain and Ireland. Bringing together new discoveries and new interpretations, it enhances our understanding and further establishes ancient British and Irish rock art as a significant archaeological assemblage worthy of attention and additional study.
Stan Beckensall is renowned for his work, done on an entirely amateur basis, discovering, recording and interpreting Atlantic rock art in his home county of Northumberland and beyond. Presented on his 90th birthday, this diverse and stimulating collection of papers celebrates his crucial contribution to rock art studies, and looks to the future.
Identity is relational and a construct, and is expressed in a myriad of ways. For example, material culture and its pluralist meanings have been readily manipulated by humans in a prehistoric context in order to construct personal and group identities. Artefacts were often from or reminiscent of far-flung places and were used to demonstrate membership of an (imagined) regional, or European community. Earthworks frequently archive maximum visual impact through elaborate ramparts and entrances with the minimum amount of effort, indicating that the construction of identities were as much in the eye of the perceivor, as of the perceived. Variations in domestic architectural style also demonstrate the malleability of identity, and the prolonged, intermittent use of particular places for specific functions indicates that the identity of place is just as important in our archaeological understanding as the identity of people. By using a wide range of case studies, both temporally and spatially, these thought processes may be explored further and diachronic and geographic patterns in expressions of identity investigated.
Based on a 2013 Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference session, this book aims to merge the perspectives of artists and archaeologists on making art. It explores the relationship between archaeology and art practice, the interactions between materials and practitioners, and the processes that result in the objects and images we call ‘art’.
