On the Periphery or the Leading Edge? Research in Prehistoric Ireland
Part of: Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)
This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "On the Periphery or the Leading Edge? Research in Prehistoric Ireland," at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.
Insular identities are shaped by the dichotomy of social connection and physical isolation. Due to their perceived isolation, however, islands on the periphery are thought to passively receive culture, not engaging with it and experimenting with variations. At times, Irish prehistoric archaeology has been viewed as deeply integrated in broader European social changes and, at other times, divorced from Continental developments. These shifting understandings shape the ways in which we discuss the social structure and identity in Irish prehistory. When there are significant social shifts, it is considered a result of external contacts. However, this perception of periodic connection and isolation ignores the ways in which island communities function, even quite large islands, such as Ireland. Rather than a monolithic identity, within an island community, there may be variations in social development, subcultures, and social change as a result of internal developments. This session explores the ways in which Ireland is both connected and unique in European prehistoric archaeology and how island identities are shaped by these connections.
Other Keywords
Iron Age •
Mobility •
Pastoralism •
Landscape Archaeology •
Trade and exchange •
Neolithic •
Bronze Age •
Maya: Classic •
Remote Sensing/Geophysics •
Ritual and Symbolism
Geographic Keywords
Isle of Man (Country) •
French Republic (Country) •
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Nort (Country) •
Ireland (Country) •
Kingdom of Belgium (Country) •
Bailiwick of Guernsey (Country) •
Principality of Monaco (Country) •
Bailiwick of Jersey (Country) •
Kingdom of the Netherlands (Country) •
Kingdom of Spain (Country)
Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-5 of 5)
- Documents (5)
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Beyond Newgrange: The Late Neolithic Complex at Brú na Bóinne, Co. Meath in Light of Recent Discoveries (2019)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "On the Periphery or the Leading Edge? Research in Prehistoric Ireland" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site is known globally for its middle Neolithic passage tombs, in particular the 'megatombs' of Knowth, Dowth and Newgrange. However, the area also possesses one of the highest densities of late Neolithic monuments in the henge tradition anywhere in the world. These comprise a variety...
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Dun Ailinne and Its Meaning in the Context of Irish Identities (2019)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "On the Periphery or the Leading Edge? Research in Prehistoric Ireland" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The notion that, historically, Ireland was a homogeneous society situated on the edge of Europe and passively receiving cultural influences has long been implicit in the larger context of European archaeology. And yet Irish society and culture were neither passive nor homogeneous at any point in the island’s history....
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Fluid Borders: Personal Ornamentation and Waterways in Bronze Age Northwest Europe (2019)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "On the Periphery or the Leading Edge? Research in Prehistoric Ireland" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. This paper explores the role played by waterways in the social exchange characteristic of Bronze Age Europe. It uses personal ornamentation as a proxy for social groupings, based on strong theoretical arguments establishing the necessity of a common ‘grammar’ to the relay of information via physical adornment. This...
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A Model for Mobility in the Irish Iron Age (2019)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "On the Periphery or the Leading Edge? Research in Prehistoric Ireland" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The Irish Iron Age (~700 BC – AD 500) has been a point of consternation for archaeologists, with large ceremonial centers but scanty settlement evidence. While, during this period, more densely populated and proto-urban settlements emerged in Britain and the European Continent, settlements in Ireland diminished in...
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A Site with a View? A 3D Reconstruction of the Structures at Dun Ailinne (2019)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "On the Periphery or the Leading Edge? Research in Prehistoric Ireland" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The site of Dún Ailinne (Knockaulin) in County Kildare is one of four major ceremonial sites of the Irish Iron Age. The site sits on a large, isolated hill in an otherwise flat landscape on which a large earthen bank and ditch encloses approximately 13 ha of land at the top. Excavations in the 1960s-1970s, as well as...