Pan Ireland/Isle of Man Macrolithic culture marks the start of the Later Mesolithic
There is a chronological gap between the early Mesolithic & Later Mesolithic technologies with no transition
The Later Mesolithic period ends around 4000 BC and is followed by the Neolithic
no transitional artefacts have been found between the Later Mesolithic and Neolithic
there have been few signs of variation across the Later Mesolithic period - this has reflected data, analytical, and interpretative limitations rather than reality
The island’s extensive bog and alluvial deposits undoubtedly have concealed informative settlement evidence and its acidic soils have decomposed and destroyed significant amounts of organic archaeological material
rising sea levels peaked between 4500 and 2000 BC
rising sea levels have eroded and submerged most of the coastal and estuarine evidence for foraging
These conditions, along with a historical bias towards research in northeastern Ireland, make it quite clear that the record is woefully incomplete.
the gaps are not evenly distributed across the entire period.
Anderson and Johnson have pointed out that the best lithic data for the Later Mesolithic are associated only with its last 500 years (4500-4000 BC).
a residential mobility strategy consisting of short-term food and raw material procurement and processing camps oriented toward coasts, estuaries, rivers and lakes.
No inland, terrestrially-oriented sites have yet been identified.
Subsistence appears to have involved a broad spectrum of faunal resources: Newferry subsistence data have shown a focus on salmonids and eels; Ferriter’s Cove has demonstrated exploitation of seafish, shellfish, and wild pig; and midden sites along the coast of the province of Leinster indicate consumption of sea mammals (e.g., seals), oysters, and limpets. Ireland lacked large terrestrial ungulates – for example, red deer (elk) – during the Later Mesolithic period
Based on the settlement evidence, it is likely that population density was quite low.
Following the lead of Milner and colleagues’ calculations for Britain, if we take the low end of ethnographic forager population density estimates (0.1/km2) and factor in Ireland’s current area (84,000 km2), we arrive at a population estimate of 8,400 individuals at any one time, spread thinly along the island’s extensive coastlines, lakeshores and river valleys.
one of the features of the Later Mesolithic toolkit that sets it apart from those outside of Ireland is the fact that there is no stylistic variability in the broad blades and flakes found across the island. They all are made the same way – hard hammer percussion – and offer no hint of regional variation that might be indicative of differing social identities
During the Pleistocene ice age, ice sheets more than 3000 metres thick scoured the landscape of Ireland, pulverizing rock and bone, and eradicating all evidence of early human settlements during the Glenavian warm period (human remains pre-dating the last glaciation have been uncovered in the extreme south of Britain, which largely escaped the advancing ice sheets).
During the Last Glacial Maximum (c. 16,000 BC), Ireland was an Arctic wasteland, or tundra
recent publications (Greenwood and Clark, 2009) suggests that ice went off the southern coast of Ireland.
Paleolithic human occupation was unlikely, though fishing possible.
The last Ice Age came to an end in Ireland about 10,000 BC.
a number of the key Early Mesolithic excavations are the settlement site at Mount Sandel in County Londonderry (Coleraine); the cremations at Hermitage, County Limerick on the bank of the River Shannon; and the camp site at Lough Boora in County Offaly.
It is thought that these settlers first colonized the northeast of the country from Scotland.
Although sea levels were still lower than they are today, Ireland may already have been an island by the time the first settlers arrived by boat.
Most of the Mesolithic sites in Ireland are coastal settlements.
The earliest inhabitants of this country were seafarers who depended for much of their livelihood upon the sea.
The hunter-gatherers of the Mesolithic era lived on a varied diet of seafood, birds, wild boar and hazelnuts.
There is no evidence for deer in the Irish Mesolithic and it is likely that the first red deer were introduced here in the early stages of the Neolithic.
The human population hunted with spears, arrows and harpoons tipped with small stone blades called microliths, while supplementing their diet with gathered nuts, fruit and berries.
They lived in seasonal shelters, which they constructed by stretching animal skins over wooden frames.
They had outdoor hearths for cooking their food.
During the Mesolithic the population of Ireland was probably never more than a few thousand.
One of the earliest known settlements in County Offaly is at Boora bog which dates back to the Mesolithic era. Excavations here provides evidence of a temporary settlement as no structures were found at the site. Stone axes, arrow heads and blades were discovered which date to between 6.800 - 6,000 BCE
What is the extent of evidence of a paleolithic human presence in Irealnd?[edit]
County sligo “stone implements” are flakes of natural origin.
Two stone handaxes are genuine artefacts but are modern discards
Dún Aonghasa on Inis Mór, Aran, Co. Galway (Murphy 1977)
garden in Co. Cork (Woodman 1998)
Human bones were associated with remains of giant deer but deposits in the cave were disturbed by a fluctuating water-table, radiocarbon dating indicate the bones are of a 4th M. BC date (Dowd 2002)
Small but relatively thick flint flake found in Mell (near Drogheda), Co. Louth came from a deposit of post-glacial gravel. It is slightly rolled or blunted by water action so it may have been collected somewhere in the Irish Sea area along with other debris by glacial action (Mitchell and de G. Sieveking 1972)
Flint flake from Ballycullen (near Newtownards) Co. Down may have also been transported by glacial action (Stirland 2008)
B01 Sources don't actually say that a paleolithic presence was 'unlikely' just that no evidence exists for it.
B01 What source mentions fishing specifically? Is there any benefit to saying fishing specifically as opposed to the more general 'a paleolithic human presence was possible'.
B02 "possible" artefacts implies that there is doubt whether the artefacts are paleolithic or not as opposed to whether or not the paleolithic artefacts originated from Ireland (which apart from the County Sligo find is the real question).
When did Mesolithic people first arrive in Ireland?[edit]
Where did Mesolithic people first arrive in Ireland?[edit]
How did Mesolithic people first arrive in Ireland?[edit]
it's unkown as to where . there have been a number of sites such as the site near the river shannon . about 9,500 years old . and an earlyer site in nothern Ireland .mount sandel around 9,000 years old . they could have crossed from what is now walse . from the date near shannon it's claer there must be later dates . so id say they arrived around 10,000 to 11,000 years ago . maybe from walse . or even mainland europe considering the land mass and sea level's would have been lower .
Ice age and geography[edit]
Paleolithic humans[edit]
Mesolithic arrival[edit]