IANT260 — The Arch Heritage of Ireland
The scope of this course is ambitious; charting the evidence for human occupation in Ireland over eight millennia. Lectures will address specific themes in Irish archaeology and consider various key episodes in our prehistory and history. The course is a celebration of Irich material culture from the first flint scrapers left by the pioneer colonists of this land to the masterpieces produced by the monks, metalworkers and masons which have been equated with 'the work of angels'. Past peoples have also left an imdelible mark on the landscape and this legacy will be explored through a discussion of monuments such as the great passage tomb at Newgrange and the enigmatic royal site of Tara, Co. Meath. Field visits to sites in the hinterland of Galway city will enable students to appreciate the siting and morphology of individual monuments in a living landscape.