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.

Hopewell System

Most tribal peoples of Canada and the United States don't speak of the Hopewell System, but from Chippewa and Ojibwa of the north to the Choctaw and Chickasaw of the south a feeling comes up. Its a feeling like, perhaps a stream of arterial blood or a stream of energy connecting them. There are Ojibwa who speak a language that can speak of that flow of wise energy. Its a language which caries more knowledge than many realize. Navajo, Cree, and Inuit speak powerful languages and they know the waters too. The Ojibwa have long known the water ways.


When a language dies much dies with it, but not all. There are other symbols and memories. When I was young perhaps 300,000 could speak the language known to the Ojibwa, now there are not that many. There are still those who can speak more than one sentence and those who can remember a whole chant without an error. The language has guardians and supporters.


These days the gene-pool of the Cherokee may be larger and spread more widely than the Ojibwa line. Who can tell the blood?


In a dream I have been told that we have a few drops of the blood of the sea-going Miigis, but that we ate the wrong turtle. I don't know what the dream means, suspect that it may speak of a lost power that is not completely lost.


My home is far from the great rivers and far from the Great Lakes, but I have heard of an island that has more than a hundred lakes on it! Many of those lakes have islands on them! I reminds me of something I saw on the paper on a can of milk. This same island may be largest island on fresh water. On that island, I hear, are those who ave some memory of thriving connections among many Indian people going back and back and far. They eat Haw berries and remember things. Some teach. They remember the old word for copper.


Some of the people who come to that island, I hear, know strange names like Anishiwaabe, Sheguiada, Shehewaning, and Miigis too. I may have been drunk in LA when someone told me.


If you know more please tell. If I have spoken a lie please tell me. I try to give my best understanding.