People, Ritual, and Death: Life in Early Prehistoric Europe

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course introduces evidence from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods of Western Asia and Europe, to create a context for the understanding of the early prehistory of Ireland. We will look particularly at the possible reasons why communities who lived by foraging and hunting adopted agriculture and what implications those changes had. The 14 course begins with an overview, followed by an examination of various aspects of Mesolithic society. The origin of farming in Western Asia is next, followed by the Neolithic of the central and north European plain and the introduction of agriculture to Western Europe, particularly to Britain and Ireland. The development of ritual and burial monuments will be explored towards the end of the course.