Transcript Ancient Ireland - Colaiste Muire Learning Hub

ANCIENT IRELAND
NEOLITHIC IRELAND
LEARNING OBJECTIVE - TO UNDERSTAND NEOLITHIC BURIAL CUSTOMS
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. To understand the Burial customs of the
Neolithic Period
2. To understand key terms relating to the burial
customs
3. To be able to recognise the type of burial
custom via images
 Key Terms:
 Court
 Passage
 Cremated
 Burial Chamber
 Cairn
 Portal Dolmen
 Corbelled roof
LEARNING OBJECTIVE - TO UNDERSTAND NEOLITHIC BURIAL CUSTOMS
The Neolithic built tombs called megaliths to honour their dead.
 There were three main type of tombs:
1. Court cairns
2. Portal dolmens
3. Passage tombs
LEARNING OBJECTIVE - TO UNDERSTAND NEOLITHIC BURIAL CUSTOMS
 Almost 400 Court Cairns were built (mainly in the North of
Ireland)
 Shape: Semi-circular court (open space) in front, with an entrance
leading into a burial chamber.
 Cairns: small mound of smaller stones that covered the burial
chamber
 The Court was used for religious ceremonies and cremation
LEARNING OBJECTIVE - TO UNDERSTAND NEOLITHIC BURIAL CUSTOMS
LEARNING OBJECTIVE - TO UNDERSTAND NEOLITHIC BURIAL CUSTOMS
 200 found!
 Shape: Three large upright stones supported a very large Dolmen
(Capstone) – up to 40 tonnes in weight!!
- Portal: Two large upright stones acted as supports for the Dolmen
- Dolmen: the capstone that was laid on the top of the Portals.
- The tombs were partly covered by smaller stones, leaving the entrance open.
 Bodies were cremated and placed into pots inside the chamber
LEARNING OBJECTIVE - TO UNDERSTAND NEOLITHIC BURIAL CUSTOMS
LEARNING OBJECTIVE - TO UNDERSTAND NEOLITHIC BURIAL CUSTOMS
 Over 300 found!!
 Get their name from the long passage leading from the entrance to a
burial chamber inside.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE - TO UNDERSTAND NEOLITHIC BURIAL CUSTOMS
LEARNING OBJECTIVE - TO UNDERSTAND NEOLITHIC BURIAL CUSTOMS
 Newgrange has a circular mound that covers a long passage leading to a cross-
shaped burial chamber.
 Shape: the passage has upright stones along both sides, with large flat stones placed
on the top to from a roof.
 The roof of the chamber is corbelled – this was built by placing flat stones one on
top of the other, with the one on top placed slightly in front of the other.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE - TO UNDERSTAND NEOLITHIC BURIAL CUSTOMS
LEARNING OBJECTIVE - TO UNDERSTAND NEOLITHIC BURIAL CUSTOMS
 The most famous feature of Newgrange is the small opening or ‘roof box’ situated
above the passage entrance.
 On the 21st of December each year, the rising sun sends its light through the roof-
box and along the passage until the rays of light hit the back wall of the chamber
 Marked the start of the New Year-- a sign of nature’s rebirth and promising renewed
life to crops, animals and humans.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE - TO UNDERSTAND NEOLITHIC BURIAL CUSTOMS
NEOLITHIC ARTWORK
 At the entrance to the tomb,
there is a large stone which is an
example of Neolithic artwork.
 They used spirals, circles and
triangles!
LEARNING OBJECTIVE - TO UNDERSTAND NEOLITHIC BURIAL CUSTOMS
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=P6XAFJ_FdOA
LEARNING OBJECTIVE - TO UNDERSTAND NEOLITHIC BURIAL CUSTOMS
What does Newgrange tell us about
the people who built it?
1. They were well organised
2. They were great builders
3. They had a religion and believed in the afterlife
4. They were astronomers and mathematicians
5. They had many skilled craftsmen.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE - TO UNDERSTAND NEOLITHIC BURIAL CUSTOMS
Key Terms:
 Court
 Passage
 Cremated
 Burial Chamber
Homework
 Write up key terms in back of notebook using
notes and the book pg. 24- 27 and revise!
 Cairn
 Portal Dolmen
 Corbelled roof
LEARNING OBJECTIVE - TO UNDERSTAND NEOLITHIC BURIAL CUSTOMS