The Stone Age
The Ice Age in Ireland
lasted from 30,000 years
ago until close to 12,000
years ago.
When it came to an end,
the ice melted and the
sea levels rose.
New plants and animals
came to Ireland from
Britain and the Continent.
At some time, people
came in dugout canoes
and skin-covered boat
The word ‘Lithos’ means
Stone
This ancient time is called the
Stone Age because people
made their tools and weapons
from stone.
There are 3 ‘Stone Ages’
Palaeolithic – Ancient or Old Stone Age
(2 million years ago – 12000 BC no evidence of
people living in Ireland)
Mesolithic – Middle Stone Age
(12000 BC – 7000BC First people in Ireland)
Neolithic – New Stone Age
(7000 BC – 2000 BC First farmers in Ireland)
Paleolithic – Old Stone Age
These earliest people survived by hunting
and gathering. Archaeologists have not
found evidence of them in Ireland but they
may some day.
We do know that people were in Ireland by
7000 BC.
How do you think the first people came
to Ireland?
Mesolithic – Middle Stone Age
Archaeologists
have excavated
sites that show the
earliest known
human settlements
found in Ireland.
One site is Mount
Sandal, Co. Derry
showing people of
Mesolithic origin.
They were known as hunter-gatherers
They hunted wild boar and birds like duck and
pigeon.
They also fished around the coasts and in the
rivers
They gathered berries and hazelnuts
They cooked their food on spits.
They were nomadic people – when the food ran
out where they lived, they moved on to another
place
Where did they live?
Stone Age people lived
in pointed huts made
from timber posts and
twigs, covered in sods
of earth or animal skins.
People in this era lived near rivers, lakes or
the coast
Their Houses were easily built – lights
branches of trees set into the grounds
and covered by skins, grass leaves or
brushes tied together by animal hide or
guts
In the centre of the house or hut was a
fireplace
Stone Age Diet
What did they wear?
They probably wore animal skins.
What tools did they use?
Archaeologists
discovered that the
stone used was ‘flint’.
It could be shaped
easily for cutting.
When flint is struck with
another rock it creates
sparks making fire.
Tools
Archaeologists found stone tools made from
flint.
Tiny pieces of flint are called ‘microliths’.
Bone and timber were also discovered which
were used with flint to make arrowheads and
saws.
Why did Stone Age people need these type
of tools?
Stone Age Tools
What do you think these
tools were used for?
Revision of Mesolithic
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
What does Mesolithic mean?
Why is it called Stone Age?
What was flint?
What were mircoliths?
Why were they known as ‘HunterGatherers’?
6) They lived a ‘nomadic’life? Explain.
7) Where have archaeologists found evidence of
Mesolithic times?
8) What are ‘post-holes’?
9) How did they make their clothes?
10) How did they cook their food?
11) What type of food did they eat?
Neolithic – New Stone Age
Around 3500 BC Archaeologists began to
notice important changes when excavating
sites.
They found less pollen from trees and more
from grass. What does this tell us?
They found pollen from wheat and barley.
They found bones from cattle, sheep and
goats.
Neolithic – The first farmers.
• Gradually the stone age people
developed from hunter-gatherers to
become farmers.
• Farming gave them a more regular supply
of food. It meant that they settled for
longer on the land and built stronger
houses.
• Archaeologists have found Neolithic sites
at Lough Gur, Co Limerick and the Céide
Fields in Co Mayo
Did their houses change?
New Stone Age people made their houses
from wood in round and regular as can be
seen in the previous image.
What was the difference between Mesolithic
and Neolithic houses?
Neolithic Houses
Neolithic Houses
In pairs read the information on Neolithic
houses and answer the following questions:
1) Describe the shape of the Neolithic houses?
2) Describe how the houses were made. Use
the following words in your description;
timber posts; wattle; daub; thatched.
3) What do you think it was like inside the
house?
4) Why were Neolithic houses stronger than
Mesolithic ones?
Clothes
1. What type of clothes do you think they wore?
2. What were their clothes made?
Weapons
Neolithic people hunted
with polished axes which
were better quality than
the axes that the
Mesolithic people used.
The Neolithic people were
more advanced and
developed.
Task
Name three weapons or
tools and explain what
they were used for.
Crafts -Pottery
The stone age people
made pottery that
they used for
cooking, storing food
and in burial
ceremonies.
Describe how
Neolithic people
made pots from
pottery.
Megalithic Tombs
(Great Stone Tombs)
The 3 different types of Neolithic Tombs are :
Court Cairns,
Portal Dolmens
Passage Graves.
Burial Customs
Court Cairns – these tombs had an open
area or court at the entrance.
Bodies were cremated before they were
buried in the chamber part which was made
of standing stones.
Then it was covered over with small pebbles
known as ‘cairn’.
A Court Cairn
Portal Dolmens
These tombs had 3 large standing stones
called portals which we saw in the previous
picture.
A large capstone was laid on top to make a
roof for the tomb.
The cremated bodies were placed under the
capstone and covered with a heap of smaller
stones.
Portal Dolmens
This gives you an idea of its size when you compare
it to the person standing beside it (Brownes Hill, Carlow)
Passage Tombs
Archaeologists have found examples of
passage graves in Co. Meath at Dowth,
Knowth and Newgrange.
These are Ireland’s largest tombs. In each a
stone lined passage leads to one or more
burial chambers. The whole tomb is covered
with a mound of stones or earth.
Passage Graves
Newgrange, Co. Meath
Grave Goods
The cremated bodies were placed in
megalithic tombs along with things they may
need in the afterlife – grave goods.
Credits
Slide 1 Image: http://www.gardinerstreetschool.ie/wpcontent/uploads/2010/11/stoneage_reconst_rec300web.jpg
Map:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prehistoric_Ireland#mediaviewer/File:Www
.wesleyjohnston.com-users-ireland-maps-historical-ice_age.gif
House: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1898413
Reconstruction Hunter-Gatherer Hut:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prehistoric_Ireland
Clothes & people: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prehistoric_technology
Flint: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_tool
Stone Tools: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Age
Houses:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/First_Irish_farme
rs_hut,_Irish_National_Heritage_Park_-_geograph.org.uk__1252729.jpg
Neolithic Clothes:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Neolithic_hut_re
construction.jpg
Neolithic Weapons:
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/ref/SI/Japanese/img/plate-2.jpg
Pottery:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/NeolithicPotteryI
relandVcu_(2).JPG
Court Cairn:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Audleystown_Co
urt_Cairn_(02).JPG
Dolmen:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Brownshill_Dolm
en.JPG
Passage Tomb:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Newgrange_pas
sage_tomb.jpg
Grave Goods:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Lombard_grave_
goods_from_Marmstorf.jpg