Articulating space and ritual in the Irish passage tomb tradition

This project is focused on the role of landscape in the Irish passage tomb tradition (IPTT) and the evidence for the development of monuments, space and ritual. Passage tombs are the best known examples of Irish megalithic architecture. There are over 200 Irish examples and they are believed to have been constructed and used in the Neolithic period. Within existing research, an emphasis has traditionally been placed on the development of the monument itself, with a focus on morphology, size, megalithic art and material culture. This dissertation reappraises the role of landscape and asks the question: what can environmental siting and the development of monuments and space in passage tomb landscapes, suggest about the trajectory of change for ritual and ideology in the IPTT? The four largest passage tomb complexes comprising Cúil Irra and Carrowkeel-Keashcorran in County Sligo and Loughcrew and the Boyne Valley in Co. Meath, form four case studies. The extent of distribution in each complex is determined along with the arrangement of monuments in groups. The form that the monuments take is also discussed and this research is based on site visits, existing distribution maps, new maps generated in ArcGIS, the study of plans, drawings, descriptions, excavation reports and 18th‒21st century references and research. A trajectory for development is identified and its ritual significance explored and this is based on the identification of a developing relationship with landscape which happens in tandem with changes in monument morphology. Interrelationships between monuments are explored for the definition and sub-division of open-air ritual spaces known as focal-areas. The discussion and analysis of this data is then presented in terms of a shared ‘pattern’ for development which is indicative of ideological connections between passage tomb people.

Funder

University of Galway

Publisher

University of Galway

Rights

CC BY-NC-ND

cbn

Collections

University of Galway Theses (PhD Theses)