describe the cultural landscapes created by neolithic farming communities in ireland with reference to Aalens model of cultural landscape formation

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The purpose of this essay is to describe the cultural landscapes created by Neolithic farming communities in Ireland with reference to Aalen’s model of cultural landscape formation. In order to do so it is important to understand the following terms, Neolithic and landscape. The word Neolithic generally refers to a period in time around 4000-2000BC, also known as the New Stone Age with ‘neo’ meaning new and ‘lithic’ meaning stone. During this period the Irish landscape was altered greatly with the onset of agriculture and the domestication of animals. The Neolithic period brought with it the first major human intervention into the then densely wooded landscape.  Migrant men and women became Ireland’s very first farmers who cultivated the soil and constructed mighty burial tombs. The Neolithic era is a period were the Irish landscape saw the introduction of agriculture but also the continuing of hunting and gathering as a means of obtaining food. The landscape can be simply defined as an extensive area of rural scenery that can be looked upon from one single viewpoint. According to Cooney the concept of landscape “is a useful way to look at the linkages between the different aspects of material culture and changes that occur through time and space”. The landscape can be looked upon as a place that is altered by both animals and humans and includes physical elements such as soil, water, rocks and air. Aalen’s model of cultural landscape formation refers to the Irish landscape and how it has mirrored human activity over time and how it is a record of the ways the many different communities adjusted the then landscape to their habitat and adapted it to their needs. The French historical geographer Vidal de la Blanche once said that the landscape “was a medal struck in the image of a civilisation”. It is a narrative of our countries past and a palimpsest of the people’s history and nature’s history intertwined. In Ireland, natural landscapes are almost non-existent as much of our landscape is a product of human endeavour. It is important to remember that the natural landscape has had a significant bearing on the course of our islands past as it is located on the western edge of Europe. This highlights that the Neolithic settlements in Ireland was no accident and this has played a huge part in shaping the physical landscape ever since.  The first paragraph of this essay is devoted to a look at the evidence that exists in relation to the Neolithic settlements in Ireland and also the character of the Neolithic landscape. The second paragraph looks at the ideological aspects of their life with reference to the four types of burial chambers identified. The third paragraph discusses some of the aesthetic aspects of Neolithic Ireland referring to decorative art. Finally the concentration is on technological aspects including domesticated animals and plants, pottery and the use of stone axes. All of the above are looked at in relation to how they have contributed to the creation of cultural landscapes.

The evidence for Neolithic activity lies in the two methods of pollen counting and in the annual growth rings of trees.  The method of pollen counting involves relating pollen found in bogs and other such places with previous periods by the pollens with which they occurred. This has allowed historians to record the prehistoric happenings of the past. According to Mitchell and Ryan the pollen record is like a tape recorder at a noisy party. It registers the different changes in the volume of conservation. This pollen ‘recorder’ has been running for thousands of years and it is still running today. As mentioned earlier another form of evidence used to detect our cultural past is the use of the annual growth rings of trees. This allows one to record climate change at specific calendrical dates. As a result events related to prehistoric Ireland have been noted at 4370BC, 3195BC, 2345BC, 1628BC, 1150BC and 208BC, times were Ireland experienced severe weather conditions including heavy rains and cold conditions thus resulting in poor agricultural growth. It is these dramatic climatic conditions that brought about the social change in the Neolithic era and played a huge factor in the development of the Irish rural landscape.

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The Neolithic period was ultimately the origins of the first farming communities in Ireland.  The settlers arrived in Ireland from Britain bringing new technology and animals such as cows, pigs and goats with them. This in turn dramatically increased the number of mammals in Ireland. They also brought with them barley and wheat. This spread of farming had spread from the Middle East through Eastern and southern Europe reaching Ireland around 4000BC. The development of agriculture is profound as for thousands of years previous to 4000BC Irish settlers were known as hunter-gatherers who spend their time scavenging for food. ...

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