Project Title: Researching and Surveying Iron Age/Celtic Ireland
You are required to write a report on the Iron Age/Celts in Irish Archaeology by carrying out research and completing a site survey at the Hill of Tara in County Meath. Use the headings below to help you complete your project.
Assignment headings:
- Introduction: put the Iron Age into a range of contexts.
- Main Body: divided into a number of topics:
- Housing and Food
- Ringfort, promontory fort, hill fort, crannog (2 paragraphs each) put images of each below
- Talk about the introduction of the roteryquorn, introduction of cereal, rye to oats
- Celtic society
- Talk about 150 kingdoms (tuath) king, (1 paragraph)
- Tools and Weapons,
- Talk about how iron is stronger than bronze. Types of tools and weapons (1-2 paragraphs)
- Celtic Art
- Hoard, boa head, both bord, more relevant art (2-3 paragraphs)
- Celtic Festivals
- Samhain, imbolc, bealthna, Lughanasa (1 paragraph each)
- Ogham Stones and Burials
- Cyst pits, burial grave goods images and examples (1 paragraph)
- Hill of Tara: structures and features (1 paragraph each)
- Mond of hostages
- Rathnraoi
- Kings seat
- Cormac’s house
- Rath of the sinads
- Banqueting hall
- Conclusion: provide a summary of the main points
This project should be well presented with evidence of the following:
- Field Sketches and Maps
- Aerial Photographs
- Internet research
- Must use excavations.ie
- Must use UCD report
- ie map viewer
- Get an aerial photo of a hill of tara,
- Get OSI map hill of tara
- Get a historic 6-inch map of a hill of tara
- Published research
- Suggested guideline word count 2800
Assessment Questions:
- One major period in Irish Archaeology clearly identified
- Archaeological specifications, techniques and archaeological features clearly identified
- Cartographic, photographic and documentary research interpreted logically
- Findings with illustrations, maps and photographs clearly researched and attractively explained in Irish and global context
