Mesolithic and neolithic Flashcards
(29 cards)
When the Mesolithic period begin
7000BC
What was the Mesolithic period
A period when hunter-gathers used simple stone tools
How do we know about the Mesolithic people
Archaeologists have found evidence from Mount Sandel ,near Colerine,Co.Derry.
What tools did they use
They used a stone called flint to carve their weapons
How did they make their homes
They know from post-holes that they used branches probably covered with mud or animal skins in the shape of a bowl
what is a hunter gatherer
People who get their food by hunting animals and gatherings nuts and berries
What did they eat
- Fish shells and fish bones
- Bones of deer,duck and wild pig
- Hazelnut shells
When did the Neolithic period start
4000BC
What was the big change in 4000BC
They found pollen samples less from trees and more from grass and also pollen samples from wheat and barely plus bones of cattle,sheep and goats all this pointed to one thing…THEY HAD STARTED FARMING :0
What does Neolithic mean
Period when people farmed and used better stone tools
*sometimes called new stone age *
Who were the first farmers
Farming started in Mesopotamia[modern Iran and Iraq] around 8000BC
What tools and weapons did they use
They used a stronger rock than flint called porcellanite.In Antrim and Rathlin Islands Axe-heads were found made with porcellanite quarried in Antrim all over Ireland and Britain which shows us they travelled and traded
How did they make their homes
Excavations at Lough Gur in Co.Limerick tell us they used a method called wattle and daub There was only a small hole for smoke to leave the hut so they must have been smoky
How did they make clothes
They made clothes from wool and dyed them with berries they also wore jewellery made from bones and stones
how did they potter
To make a bowl they took a lump of clay and moulded with their fists and let them dry then baked them in a fire some pots were decorated with patterns using stickers or some just fingers
where have stone farm walls been found
They build stone walls around their farms we know this from the Céid fields .
How did they make flour
They used a quern stone to grind flour for bread
in Neolithic times what was the average height for a male
1.7 metres
In Neolithic times what was the average height for a female
1.6 metres
What three kind of Megalithic tombs are there
court cairns,dolmens and passage tombs
What was a court cairn
A circle of stones [the earliest Megalithic tombs] court means open area and cairn means stones however inside the cairn there is a passage leading to a chamber in the centre filed with pottery and cremated bodies.
What was a dolmen tomb
A tomb made of upright stones and one capstone.
What is a Capstone
A large flat stone that lies in top of a dolmen
What was a passage tomb
Similar to court cairns but much bigger.From the outside they look like a giant hill.Inside there is a long passage leading to a chamber.Archaeologists have found cremated bodies in the chambers.There are over 200 of them in Ireland the most famous being NEWGRANGE :0
