Reconstructing Animal Economies of Early Ireland in Transition

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Animal Bones to Human Behavior" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In Ireland, one of the defining features of the transition from the Iron Age to the Early Medieval period, during the first centuries AD, is the development of a dairying economy. The concern for dairy as a commodity had social and political consequences for Early Medieval society; with status reflected in quantities of dairy cattle and social obligations of hospitality expressed in butter and cheese. The development of this system, however, is not well understood. This paper presents the initial findings from zooarchaeological analysis of the animal remains from Ninch, Co. Meath. Excavation at this site demonstrated a long sequence of occupation from the Late Iron Age through the Early Medieval period, examining the transition from the prehistoric to the medieval. At times the site was primarily a settlement and, at others, a site inflected by ritual expression and burial. This demonstrates not only change over time but also the use of animals in various social contexts. By examining this period of social and political transformation, I question narratives of continuity and change as well as the staid interpretations of resource exploitation and economic development during this period.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Animal Bones to Human Behavior   •
• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32054