Life in the Stone Age

Stone Age Eras Paleolithic (Early Stone Age): 2,500,000 BC to 8,000 BC. Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age): 8,000 BC to 3,500 BC. Neolithic (New Stone Age): 3,500 BC to 2,000 BC.

This period in history is called ‘The Stone Age’ as the people used very basic tools and weapons made from FLINT. Small pieces of flint known as ‘microliths’ were used for fishing and hunting.

The Mesolithic Era Much of what we know of this era comes from the MOUNT SANDEL archaeological site in Co. Derry. People of this era were HUNTER-GATHERERS (they did not farm; they hunted wild animals and gathered fruit, nuts and berries). They lived in simple round huts with bushes and animal hides for shelter.

Mount Sandel

MOUNT SANDEL TOOLS Flint Tools:

The Neolithic Era People of this era moved from hunter-gathering to FARMING. The CEIDE FIELDS in Co. Mayo tells us a lot about this era. A lot of big STONE MONUMENTS remain from this era

The Ceide Fields

Neolithic House using Wattle & Daub

Neolithic People- New Advances 1. They began to settle and live in certain areas e.g. beside rivers, forests. They built houses from WATTLE AND DAUB. Wattle consisted of interwoven twigs and sticks . Daub was a mud & straw mixture. 2. They were FARMERS. They cleared areas of forests, grew crops and raised animals. 3. They were also skilled at making POTTERY. Also known as ‘the Beaker People’ 4. They became skilled at reading LUNAR ACTIVITY (moon)

Wattle & Daub

e.g. Neolithic Pottery

Megalithic Tombs ‘Megalith’ means ‘big stone’. These are huge stone tombs that belonged to the first Neolithic farmers. These ‘tombs’ were used as burial chambers. Many survive to the present day such as:

1. COURT CAIRNS These are stone chambers surrounded by a stone mound. There are over 300 examples of these chambers around Ireland.

2. PORTAL DOLMENS These tombs have two or three large upright stones with a large CAPSTONE resting on them. The large upright stones make the PORTAL to the tomb. An example is the portal dolmen at POULNABRONE in Co. Clare.

POULNABRONE DOLMEN

3. PASSAGE TOMBS e.g Newgrange Tombs that have a passage leading from the edge of the chamber to the burial chamber in the centre. The whole passage is covered in a mound of stones, so that it looks like a hill. Newgrange has a roof-box at the entrance and a large kerbstone outside with spirals engraved on it.

NEWGRANGE

Newgrange has a corbelled roof which is dome-shaped.

Entrance to Newgrange. What was the roof-box used for? Kerbstone

Why is Newgrange so important? Showed that people were skilled engineers – the corbelled roof has not leaked!! Worshipped the sun – sun lit up tomb through roof box on 21st December. The people had artwork – kerbstone at entrance. They believed in life after death.