Castles, Colonists & Crannogs

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course critically examines the archaeology of Ireland during the high medieval period from c.1100 until the second half of the 14th century. The background to the coming of the Anglo-Normans to Ireland in 1169 and the impact they had on the landscape are discussed in depth in the first part of the course. Themes for this section of the module will include the role of castles, the manorial economy, trade, the foundation of villages, rural boroughs and towns by mostly English immigrants and the growth of certain cities. Dispersed settlement in Anglo-Norman parts of eastern Ireland will also be explored. In particular, in the first part of the course, the interplay between castle, town and countryside in Anglo-Norman Ireland is examined in detail.