Section 2 - Pre-Historic & Early Christian Ireland Flashcards
The first people came to Ireland in 8000BC, where can evidence of their settlement be found?
Mount Sandel, Co. Antrim. Stone tools, nut shells and bones were found here.
The people of Mount Sandel were hunter gatherers, what does this mean?
They lived in small groups and traveled from place to place hunting animals, gathering nuts and fruit.
In what year did the first farmers come to Ireland?
4000BC, this is when the Neolithic age began.
What evidence is there of these new farmers?
Bones from cattle and pigs.
Pollen from barley.
Mention two changes that occurred in the New Stone Age.
1) People had sharper stone tools.
2) They stopped being hunter gathers and started farming.
3) They made clay pots to store their food.
Name two places where evidence of the first farmers of Ireland can be found?
Lough Gur & The Ceide Fields
Name two kinds of Mesolithic buildings.
1) Portal Dolmens (3 upright pillars and a capstone)
2) Passage Tombs (e.g. Newgrange)
In 2000BC people began making tools from bronze rather than stone, what was bronze made form?
Copper & Tin
Mention two things that Bronze Age (beaker people) smiths made.
Weapons & Bracelets
What is a fulacht fia?
A wooden pit filled with boiling water (using hot stones) used to cook meat.
What year did the celts come to Ireland?
500BC
What did the celts wear?
Long tunics made of linen and woollen garments.
Were the celts hunter gathers?
No, they kept cattle, made milk and butter, grew barley and made bread.
What was a tuatha?
A small Kingdom in Celtic society.
Describe the leadership of a tuath.
1) The Ri ruled, he was elected by nobles.
2) The nobles were warriors.
3) The Aos Dana were the learned.
4) The craftspeople
5) The farmers
6) The slaves that were captured from neighbouring tuatha
Name two defensive settlements of the celts.
Crannógs (Island houses)
Hill forts
Name two Celtic gods.
Lug, God of war
Brigid, God of spring
What is a Druid and how long did it take to become one?
A Druid was a Celtic priest, it took 20 years of study to become one.
What is the Celtic form of writing called?
Ogham, it was done onto stone.
Who brought Christianity to Ireland?
St. Patrick
Where can a Celtic monastery be found?
Aran Islands or Clonmacnoise
What is a beehive hut?
A small round hut made of stone where monks lived.
What was the function of a round tower in the Celtic monastery?
A lookout post and to store treasure.
What was done in scriptoriums?
Monks wrote books.
Name a monk who left Ireland to preach Christianity.
St. Columbanus who set up a monastery in Italy
What led to the end of the golden age of Irish monasteries?
In 800AD pirates of Scandinavia raided the Irish monasteries.
What does pre-history mean?
A time before people could write about themselves.
