Bronze Age Settlement and Ritual

Bronze Age Settlement

Kilmurry North, Co. Wicklow
Crannogs/Lake Settlements
Apalle, central Sweden (House 13)
Apalle, central Sweden (House 2)
Ballyarnet, Co. Derry
Killoran, Co. Tipperary
Ballyprior Beg, Co. Antrim
Landscape History
Can deforestation be plotted against the settlement record?
In Ireland, settlement evidence is generally in the form of houses sites found as single structures or in groups of varying sizes (often around 3 or 4).
Evidence of enclosure in most periods rather than in any single period.
Landscape History: Settlement
Frequencies are based on numbers of structures.
Stars indicated period with evidence of enclosure.
Landscape History: Settlement
But – does this mask shorter term demographic changes (e.g. 1200-1100 BC/1100-1000 BC/1000-900 BC)?
This diagram does not include the largest site, Corrstown (see next slide).
Problems settling down?
So much new material has come to light recently in Ireland, the overall picture provided by the settlement evidence is not yet clear.
This is Corrstown, Co. Antrim, which produced up to 60 structures dating to 1600-1350 BC (excavated by Malachy Conway and Audrey Gahan for ACS Ltd).
Corrstown, Co. Derry
Nucleated Settlement
One measure is the ratio of built to unbuilt space.
It is around 1:5.3 at the two Early Bronze Age phases of Zurich-Mozartstrasse (as shown here)
Padnal, Switzerland (reconstruction)
Nucleated Settlement
Early Bronze Age phase at an enclosed Slovakian site, Nitriansky Hrádock
Here the built to unbuilt ratio appears to be 1:5.8
Nucleated settlement
At other Early Bronze Age Slovakian sites like Barca (right) and Nižná Myšl’a, the ratio is 1:1
Nucleated Settlement
Some sites are much more highly dispersed, although multiple structures are present.
This is St Oedenrode (North Brabant, Netherlands)
Nucleated Settlement
(Late Bronze Age) Zedau in Sachsen-Anhalt the density of structures suggests a built to unbuilt ratio of 1:6.63
Nucleated settlements
Late Bronze Age lake settlements, such as Bad Buchau
Hard to interpret – opinion has shifted over time.
Now the apparent densities fall at around 1:6.
Nucleated Settlement
High densities for sites in Iberia
Peñalosa, southern Spain (above)
Puntal dells Llops, Valencia (below)
Nucleated Settlement
Elsewhere, houses are quite large (these are Scandinavian and north German examples)
Does this represent the residences of dense populations as well?
Nucleated settlement
Lintshie Gutter, Scotland
Built to unbuilt ratio is greater than 1:50
Nucleated settlement
Grimspound, Yorkshire
Built to unbuilt ratio is greater than 1:16 (and up to 1:42)

Ritual, Procession and the Cosmos:
Irish Stone Circles and Alignments
Nebra, Germany
Callanish, Isle of Lewis
Callanish
Carnac, Brittany
Callanish, Isle of Lewis
Holme-next-the-sea (Seahenge)
Bargeroosteveld, Drenthe, Netherlands
Ballynahatty, Co. Down
Holme-next-the-sea (Seahenge)
Loughbrickland, Co. Down
Bargeroosteveld, Drenthe, Netherlands
Copney, Co. Tyrone
Circle A
Site D
Site B
Along alignment towards B
Site E
Sites F and G
Drumskinny, Co. Fermanagh
Athgreaney, Co. Wicklow
Piperstown, Site K, Co. Dublin
Timoney, Co. Tipperary
Oughtihery/Keel Cross, Co. Cork
Drombeg, Co. Cork
Bohonagh, Co. Cork
Bohonagh: Portal Stones
Bohonagh: Boulder Burial
Kealkil, Co. Cork
Maughanasilly, Co. Cork: Stone Row
Recumbent Stone Circles in Scotland
Easter Aquorthies (Scotland) – Recumbent Stone Circle
Loanhead (Scotland)
Drombeg, Co. Cork