My best guesses of the moment:
7500 BC: Island well populated
6000 BC: High Mesolithic culture in Ireland
4000 BC: Neolithic in Ireland
2500 BC: Bronze Age in Ireland
2000 BC: Fir Bolg
1900 BC: Tuatha De Danann
Order of reigns with guesses of approximate dates.
1. Nuada 1897 or 1477
2. Bres 1897 or 1470
3. Lugh 1870 or 1407
4. Eoch Ollathair 1830 or 1337
5. Delbaeth 1750 or 1327
6. Fiacha 1740 or 1317
7. Mac Cuill, Mac Cecht, Mac Greine 1730 or 1287
1700 BC Milesians
600 BC Celts in Ireland
100 BC Gauls in Ireland
Showing posts with label 2000 BC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2000 BC. Show all posts
Monday, January 9, 2012
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Evidence of Man In Ireland
I have referred to what may be called Irish mythology or proto-history in several posts in three blogs. I now intend to post a bit about the archaeology of the Irish Isle. I'll begin with the rather rough outline below. Later, if my energy and the state of my mental faculties permit, I will make and attempt to associate the mythology with archaeology. Mythology is what honorable men have told us over the ages. Archaeology is made up of physical remains identified, ordered, and, perhaps, dated which honorable men can show me.
My best guess of the moment tells me that there is substantial archaeological evidence that Ireland has been occupied by men and women much like you and I continuously for about 10,000 years.
There is stronger evidence that there has been well organized farming and cattle raising on the island for at least the last 5500 years. You might refer to the work that has been done at the Ceide Fields of County Mayo. The culture there seems to have been of a high Mesolithic type.
There is evidence of a neolithic culture being well established by 3500 BC. Evidence of that culture is found at the excavations at Lough Gur in Co. Limerick and at New Grange in Co. Meath and the other ancient tombs in the Boyne Valley. Bru na Boinne is a World Heritage site in County Meath. It is the largest and one of the most important megalithic sites in Europe. It dates from about 3500 BC and contains Knowth and Dowth, as well as New Grange.
Evidence of prospectors and metal workers in Ireland suggests an appearance date of about 2500 BC. Metallurgy appeared with the arrival of there of the Bell Beaker People, Bronze working was well developed by 2000 BC and was preceded by cooper work. Irish craftsmen of the Bronze age were famous beyond their island, especially for their beautifully made horn-shaped trumpets. A great deal of copper was mined in Kerry and Cork. Most of it was probably exported. Ireland had been know around the Mediterranean for native gold before 3000 BC, and with increased copper mining there was increased gold mining. Bronze, perhaps because of its high quality, remained important in Ireland to as late as 500 BC.
The Tuatha De Danann who were probably established in Ireland by 1890 BC would certainly, I believe, be called a Bronze Age people. The Fir Bolg their before them probably were too. The Milesians who were probably on the Island by 1700 BC probably were too. However, the Milesians may have brought knowledge of iron working.
My best guess of the moment tells me that there is substantial archaeological evidence that Ireland has been occupied by men and women much like you and I continuously for about 10,000 years.
There is stronger evidence that there has been well organized farming and cattle raising on the island for at least the last 5500 years. You might refer to the work that has been done at the Ceide Fields of County Mayo. The culture there seems to have been of a high Mesolithic type.
There is evidence of a neolithic culture being well established by 3500 BC. Evidence of that culture is found at the excavations at Lough Gur in Co. Limerick and at New Grange in Co. Meath and the other ancient tombs in the Boyne Valley. Bru na Boinne is a World Heritage site in County Meath. It is the largest and one of the most important megalithic sites in Europe. It dates from about 3500 BC and contains Knowth and Dowth, as well as New Grange.
Evidence of prospectors and metal workers in Ireland suggests an appearance date of about 2500 BC. Metallurgy appeared with the arrival of there of the Bell Beaker People, Bronze working was well developed by 2000 BC and was preceded by cooper work. Irish craftsmen of the Bronze age were famous beyond their island, especially for their beautifully made horn-shaped trumpets. A great deal of copper was mined in Kerry and Cork. Most of it was probably exported. Ireland had been know around the Mediterranean for native gold before 3000 BC, and with increased copper mining there was increased gold mining. Bronze, perhaps because of its high quality, remained important in Ireland to as late as 500 BC.
The Tuatha De Danann who were probably established in Ireland by 1890 BC would certainly, I believe, be called a Bronze Age people. The Fir Bolg their before them probably were too. The Milesians who were probably on the Island by 1700 BC probably were too. However, the Milesians may have brought knowledge of iron working.
Friday, June 17, 2011
A Golden Age
The American Indian Interaction System I've been posting about from time to time may be said to have lasted for over 4000 years. It pulsed and changed with the earth, with life. It was an interaction of varied people of various languages. It was geographically extensive. It supported a value system which included demonstrating respect for ones ancestors and tolerance for ones neighbors.
The interaction of the peoples of this system seems to have been gratifyingly peaceful. There was death and there was violent death, but there was little warlike activity.
A more recent golden age of of the interactions of these people lasted from about 200 BC to about 400 AD. The center of these interactions seem to have been in the valley of what we call the Ohio River. Its manifestation has been called the Hopewell Exchange System. Its influence was felt from the tip of Florida to well up into Canada and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky Mountains. These Amerinds didn't fool around.
The Mississippi River was the main artery of their interaction. The waters of that river and its tributaries were their roads and communication lines, but not their only ones. They, their cultures, and their sacred goods traveled the Great Lakes, and reached the Gulf of Mexico. They knew the Atlantic seaboard, the lands we now call Louisiana, Mississippi, Virginia, Kentucky,m Pennsylvania, and New York, were important to them, but they also knew Labrador and Oklahoma. People of these areas had interacted earlier, but the age we speak of seems more active and the goods more glorious.
Before the Hopewell culture was the Adena culture. It centered to the north of the Hopewell. The Adena culture was strongly active from about 2000 BC to about 200 BC. Before 2000 BC there was another flowering well to the south of Hopewell culture. If you would help me to trace corresponding climate changes we could perhaps find that cultural locus coincided with climate change.
After 400 or 500 AD to about 900 AD this Mississippi valley culture experienced great change. Productive corn came, a new bow and arrow came. New power, ideas, and beliefs came. Perhaps a new people arrived. Exchange systems changed, but continued, for a time. It also seems that more strife came. There was less tolerance of neighbors and more competition. Ancestors seemed less important. Gods had changed.
Before numbers of Europeans arrived the great interaction spheres had become smaller, less active, less peaceful, and the goods less carefully made and handled. Had what had thrived for over 6000 years with the old gods been led to a 'dark age' in less than 500 years?
As in hopefully all of my posts I am sharing my best understanding of the day and with the desire to benefit you. I try to ever make my words honest. I do not expect to hit the bull's-eye of truth, but it is there I aim. I pray that you contribute to to my understanding or to question it.
The interaction of the peoples of this system seems to have been gratifyingly peaceful. There was death and there was violent death, but there was little warlike activity.
A more recent golden age of of the interactions of these people lasted from about 200 BC to about 400 AD. The center of these interactions seem to have been in the valley of what we call the Ohio River. Its manifestation has been called the Hopewell Exchange System. Its influence was felt from the tip of Florida to well up into Canada and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky Mountains. These Amerinds didn't fool around.
The Mississippi River was the main artery of their interaction. The waters of that river and its tributaries were their roads and communication lines, but not their only ones. They, their cultures, and their sacred goods traveled the Great Lakes, and reached the Gulf of Mexico. They knew the Atlantic seaboard, the lands we now call Louisiana, Mississippi, Virginia, Kentucky,m Pennsylvania, and New York, were important to them, but they also knew Labrador and Oklahoma. People of these areas had interacted earlier, but the age we speak of seems more active and the goods more glorious.
Before the Hopewell culture was the Adena culture. It centered to the north of the Hopewell. The Adena culture was strongly active from about 2000 BC to about 200 BC. Before 2000 BC there was another flowering well to the south of Hopewell culture. If you would help me to trace corresponding climate changes we could perhaps find that cultural locus coincided with climate change.
After 400 or 500 AD to about 900 AD this Mississippi valley culture experienced great change. Productive corn came, a new bow and arrow came. New power, ideas, and beliefs came. Perhaps a new people arrived. Exchange systems changed, but continued, for a time. It also seems that more strife came. There was less tolerance of neighbors and more competition. Ancestors seemed less important. Gods had changed.
Before numbers of Europeans arrived the great interaction spheres had become smaller, less active, less peaceful, and the goods less carefully made and handled. Had what had thrived for over 6000 years with the old gods been led to a 'dark age' in less than 500 years?
As in hopefully all of my posts I am sharing my best understanding of the day and with the desire to benefit you. I try to ever make my words honest. I do not expect to hit the bull's-eye of truth, but it is there I aim. I pray that you contribute to to my understanding or to question it.
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