Neolithic Farmer
Neolithic farmers depended less on hunting like hunter gathers. Instead they grew crops and kept animals.Unlike the first settlers they did not move from place to place. They grew crops such as wheat and barley and reared animals like cows, sheep and goats. These were brought to Ireland on wooden rafts towed by dugout canoes. Archaeologists at the ceide fields in County Mayo suggests that land was divided into separate fields surrounded by stone walls.
The neolithic farmers were more skilled than earlier settlers. There tools were better made and were stronger and sharper as they were made from porcellanite instead of flint. Porcellanite was atype of rock that was harder than flint and was mined in Northern Ireland.
When they first arrived ireland was covered by a dense forest so they cut down the trees with stone polished axes, they used the timber for fire wood. They then prepared the land for their crops by using mattocks or wooden ploughs to turn the soil.Wheat was placed in a hollow in a large stone and a smaller round stone was used to grind it. This stone was called a quern. The grain produced was then used to make bread. Unlike the first settlers the neolithic people cooked indoors
The farmers made clothes from sheeps wool and the art of spinning and weaving developed . Dyes made from plants were used to add colour to the wool.
Houses
The neolithic farmers built stronger and long-lasting house than earliest settlers. There farms were usually set on higher ground because the soil was lighter and easier to plough. The houses were made of wood,stone and maybe both depending on the matetrial available locally. The walls were built by placing thick posts in the ground and weaving branches between them. This is known as wattle. Daub ,a mixture of mud and straw was plastered on the wall to keep the cold, rain and wind out.The gables at each end were supported by a large beam leaning against the ridge of the roof. The roof itself was made from timber beams with reed thatch covering it. A small hole in the roof allowed smoke to escape because, unlike the Mesolithic Irish, the Neolithic farmers lit their fires and cooked indoors. These houses were usually rectangular in shape.
The neolithic farmers were more skilled than earlier settlers. There tools were better made and were stronger and sharper as they were made from porcellanite instead of flint. Porcellanite was atype of rock that was harder than flint and was mined in Northern Ireland.
When they first arrived ireland was covered by a dense forest so they cut down the trees with stone polished axes, they used the timber for fire wood. They then prepared the land for their crops by using mattocks or wooden ploughs to turn the soil.Wheat was placed in a hollow in a large stone and a smaller round stone was used to grind it. This stone was called a quern. The grain produced was then used to make bread. Unlike the first settlers the neolithic people cooked indoors
The farmers made clothes from sheeps wool and the art of spinning and weaving developed . Dyes made from plants were used to add colour to the wool.
Houses
The neolithic farmers built stronger and long-lasting house than earliest settlers. There farms were usually set on higher ground because the soil was lighter and easier to plough. The houses were made of wood,stone and maybe both depending on the matetrial available locally. The walls were built by placing thick posts in the ground and weaving branches between them. This is known as wattle. Daub ,a mixture of mud and straw was plastered on the wall to keep the cold, rain and wind out.The gables at each end were supported by a large beam leaning against the ridge of the roof. The roof itself was made from timber beams with reed thatch covering it. A small hole in the roof allowed smoke to escape because, unlike the Mesolithic Irish, the Neolithic farmers lit their fires and cooked indoors. These houses were usually rectangular in shape.
Death and Burial
The neolithic Farmers believed in an afterlife and this can be seen by the Megalith(huge stones) tombs that remain today.There are three main tombs;
Dolmens: 3 standing stones on which a huge capstone was placed. Grave goods were placed among the remains. A mound of earth then covered the dolmen. Today all that remains are the stones as the mound of earth eroded away.
Court Cairns: A small entrance( a court) lies at the entrance of the burial chamber.Chamber then covered in earth.
Passage Graves: A long passage way leads from the entrance to the burial chamber. Over 300 passage graves in Ireland, with NEWGRANGE being the most famous. The construction of this tomb shows the skills of the Neolithic farmers, such as the corbelling technique on the roof and the roof box above the main entrance and the understanding of astronomy
by Leon McCarthy
A NEOLITHIC HOUSE
Tools
This is a mattock and was used to prepare the ground for sowing crops.
Food
This was a Quern stone which was used to grind grain and make flour.