5: Secular settlement (Nature of society 500-800) Flashcards
Three things to think about when think of ‘secular settlement’
Ringforts (Ráith)
Crannogs
Tara
How many Ráith have been identified so far in Ireland?
So far archaeologists have found around 30,000, but this doesn’t include ones that could have been destroyed, or have yet to be discovered
– very clear that it was a wide-ranging practice
Describe Raith
- They are generally circular, surrounded by a bank and a ditch with the average width of 30-35m
- The buildings themselves have a long lifespan
- In the west, they tended to be built more out of stone than of turf, just due to the geological situation
Discuss the dating of ringforts
Dendochronological dating has recently indicated that most of them date from around the 7th- 10th centuries which means that they were built as a part of this ‘economic boom’ in the Irish countryside
– previous to the availability of dendochronological dating it was thought that they may have had their origin in non medieval tradition
Discuss the distribution of raith
run in a particular band from ulster to meath, and then west into Munster. But there is none around dublin.
This could be due to the simple fact that the area around dublin was better suited for growing crops, and less for cattle
– they also tend to be built on quite high land and away from ecclesiastical sites (which tended to be near rivers)— this means there is a disjunct between the distribution of churches and of ringforts
What was NOT the purpose of ring forts?
They probably were not meant as defensive structures (like castles) as the sheer number of them means that there wouldn’t have been a high enough number of people to man their perimeters.
So DISMISS WARFARE– especially when you consider that Irish warfare in this period tended to be more mobile
What was the purpose of ringforts
probably built mainly with the aim of controlling livestock at night and protecting them from wolves or thieves.
- Finds of fossilised dung beetles suggest that they kept a range of animals in there, and it is possible that an extended family lived there with their livestock.
What are crannogs?
Artificial islands, used as a settlement site, found in many different sizes of lochs
Example of a crannog
Lagore – this is a crannog associated with the Uí Chernaig dynasty in Brega, and is mentioned in the entry in the Annals of Ulster for 850
Describe Tara physically…
A huge site, of which the earthworks are pre-historic.
It has a royal banquet hall in the middle of the structure/ site.
What appears to have been one of Tara’s defining characteristics?
The fact that it served different uses in different periods
What is the issue when studying Tara archaeologically/ as a settlement site?
It can be difficult to see beyond Tara’s symbolic and historical prestige in the written sources, as it has such a long history of symbolism
What is unique/ advantageous about Tara’s location?
The hill itself is not actually that impressive, but it has an incredible view in all directions and some claim that you can see more places from the top of it than anywhere else in Ireland.
