The Bronze Age

Before We Begin... Moving on from the Stone Age, why do you think this period is known as the Bronze Age? Do you know what bronze is? How is it made? Do you think there was a difference in the work done by Bronze Age and Neolithic people? (if so, what?)

What’s in this chapter We are going to learn about the lives of Bronze Age people. By the end of this chapter you will be able to describe Bronze Age: Houses and Settlements Food and Family Life Work and Farming Art and Craft Burial Customs

Today’s Objectives By the end of this class, you will be able to tell your friends all about: The arrival of the Bronze Age people Bronze Age settlements

The Arrival of New People 2000 BC: new people arrived in Ireland These new people knew how to make and use metal Copper: used first (where do we think it came from?) Tin was later added to the copper to make Bronze Copper + Tin = Bronze!

Why Bronze Instead of Stone? Harder Sharper Easier to shape

Houses and Settlements Near rivers and lakes (why?) Also went inland (how?) Houses: similar to Neolithic houses and settlements (can we remember what these were like?) Circular 6m in diameter Timber frame Walls: wattle and daub Roof: thatched Built timber fences around their settlements

Exercise Using the details on the previous slide and your notes, draw a picture of what you think these settlements looked like. Label the different features.

Back to Our Objectives Homework: Revision Q’s 1-2 In your copy, write down 1 fact about: Why Bronze was used instead of copper Bronze Age Houses What two metals make bronze Homework: Revision Q’s 1-2

Today’s Objectives Today, we are going to look at: The work and farming of the Bronze Age people The art and craft of the Bronze Age people

Bronze Age Food and Family Life Same food as Mesolithic people (which was?) Wheat and barley – porridge Grain – ground on a saddle stone Meat: pigs, sheep, cattle, fish Food: stored in wooden baskets or pottery vessels. Spits and cauldrons used to cook on as well as a new method...

One to Think About If you were a Bronze Age person, how would you go about cooking your meat?

Fulachta Fiadh New method cooking Carried out in fulachta fiadh Found in wet, low-lying places Hole Dug Lined with timber or flat stones. Filled with water Large stones were heated and put into the water to heat it The meat was then wrapped in straw and put into the boiling water – this cooked it.

Fulacht Fiadh

How Do We Know This?! Nobody could write at the time, so how do we know that Mr. Kirk isn’t lying or making this up? How do we know these things were real?

Evidence! Archaeologists have found thousands of these fulachta fiadh throughout Ireland because they were also used in the Iron Age by the Celts! The evidence is usually a small mound of burned stones

Bronze Age Farming Mostly farmers Cleared trees to use the land for farming Dairying and grain-growing (using wooden spades and ploughs; Bronze sickles were used to cut crops) Planted wheat and barley (to make what?) Also kept animals

Metalworking, Arts & Crafts Q: What do you call someone who works with and creates objects using metal? A: Smith Used moulds made from stone and clay Lunulae, sun discs, torcs, bracelets and necklaces are examples of Bronze Age objects made from metal PLAY THE CLIP!!

Back to Our Objectives Homework: Revision Q’s 3, 4 + 5 In your copy, write down 1 fact about: How were bronze tools made? What were the fi8elds used for? Describe cooking using a Fulacht Fiadh. Homework: Revision Q’s 3, 4 + 5

Today’s Objectives Today, we are going to look at: Bronze Age Burials Chapter revision

Revision How were Neolithic people buried? Can you remember the three types of burial customs that we studied? Do you think there is a difference in how Bronze Age people were buried?

Burial Customs 3 types: Cist graves Wedge tombs Standing stones or stone circles

Cist Graves Rectangular graves that held one person Bodies were placed in a crouched position Grave goods often placed inside (what were these again?) Covered with a slab

Cist Grave

Wedge Tombs Most common type of Bronze Age burial Walls: flat stones There was a capstone on top (What else had a capstone?) Wedge: entrance was higher and wider (at an angle) Bodies: cremated and put inside

Wedge Tomb

Standing Stones Main types: Entrance: NE of circle Stone circles, stone rows and standing stones Entrance: NE of circle Smallest stone: opposite entrance Used for burials and ceremonies Example Drombeg Stone Circle

Drombeg Stone Circle

Recap Exercises! On the handout (that says pg. 41): Homework: Answer the Picture Question Q’s (i) – (vi) in class Answer Q’s 3-6 on the last handout of your notes. Homework: Answer the Focus Task: People in History question in the box under the picture Revise notes for a test in the next class!