Neolithic houses in Ireland: a broader perspective. (Special section).

Neolithic houses in Ireland: a broader perspective. (Special section). Key-words: houses, Neolithic, settlement, domestic Introduction Over 90 structures have been identified as probable houses datingto the Neolithic period Neolithic periodor New Stone Age.The term neolithic is used, especially in archaeology and anthropology, to designate a stage of cultural evolution or technological development characterized by the use of stone tools, the existence of in Ireland (Grogan 1996; Cooney 1999; FIGURE 1;TABLES 1-3). While there is a considerable variation in size and formtwo principal types are discernible, the large rectangular buildings ofthe Early Neolithic and circular or oval structures that have a muchwider chronological span. In the past some of these have been readilyaccepted as houses while other, generally more ephemeral Temporary. Fleeting. Transitory. , structureshave occasionally been classified as having more temporary or specialistfunctions. [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] A detailed assessment of the houses has been published recently(Grogan 1996) and the basic evidence has not altered in a major waysince then. The aim of this paper is to discuss the general structuralfeatures of these buildings, to attempt an assessment of their date andfunction and to offer a glimpse of the broader settlement landscape inwhich they were constructed. Despite the large array of evidence westill need to be cautious in our interpretation. Targeted research onthe nature of the Neolithic landscape, the diachronic di��a��chron��icadj.Of or concerned with phenomena as they change through time. features ofNeolithic settlement patterns, and the social context of domesticactivity (e.g. Bergh 1995; 2000; Cooney 1987; 2000; Cooney & Grogan1999; Jones 1998; Grogan 1989) will provide a much more effective mediumfor analysis than the study of individual buildings. The growing body ofhabitation HABITATION, civil law. It was the right of a person to live in the house of another without prejudice to the property. 2. It differed from a usufruct in this, that the usufructuary might have applied the house to any purpose, as, a store or manufactory; whereas evidence, resulting principally from large-scale ruralconstruction programmes, such as roads and pipelines, is indicating agreater diversity and distribution in Neolithic settlement. Rectangular structures The list of large rectangular Irish Neolithic houses continues togrow and over 40 of these have now been excavated (FIGURE 1, TABLE 1).These include older discoveries, such as Lough Gur Lough Gur is a lake in County Limerick, Ireland near the town of Bruff. The lake forms a horseshoe shape at the base of Knockadoon Hill and some rugged elevated countryside. It is one of Ireland's most important archaeological sites. , Co. Limerick Limerick, city, Republic of IrelandLimerick,city (1991 pop. 56,083), seat of Co. Limerick, SW Republic of Ireland, at the head of the Shannon estuary. The city has a port with two docks. (3+houses, O Riordain 1954; Grogan & Eogan 1987), Ballyglass, Co. Mayo(O Nuallain 1972), Ballynagilly, Co. Tyrone (ApSimon 1976), Knowth (5,Eogan 1984; Eogan & Roche 1997; Eogan & Roche 1998) and Newtown(Gowen & Halpin 1992), Co. Meath, Tankardstown South, Co. Limerick(2, Gowen 1988; Gowen & Tarbett 1988), and Pepperhill, Co. Cork(Gowen 1988). More recent discoveries include those at Corbally, SilliotHill, Co. Kildare (3, Purcell 1998; 1999), other houses nearby in thesame townland A townland is a small geographical unit of land used in Ireland and Scotland, and believed to be of Gaelic origin. EtymologyThe English term townland is derived from the Old English word 'tun', in turn originating from the Old Norse word t��n excavated by Red Tobin, Ballygalley (2, Simpson 1996;Simpson et al. 1990; 1994) and Ballyharry 1 (2, Crothers 1996), Co.Antrim, Cloghers, Tralee, Co. Kerry (Dunne & Kiely 1999; Kiely1999), Enagh (McSparron 1999; 2001) and Thornhill (5?, Logue 2001; Anon.2000), Co. Derry, Inch, Downpatrick, Co. Down (McManus 1999), DrummennyLower, Co. Donegal (Dunne 2001), Platin, Co. Meath (Declan Moore;Corlett 2001), and Coolfore (O Drisceoil 2000), Rathmullan (EmmetStafford) and Richardstown, Co. Louth (Byrnes 1999). Although themajority are rectangular some are almost square (e.g. Tankardstown 1,Coolfore and Corbally 3) and two sites, Ballygalley 1 and Inch, haveapsidal entrance compartments. While substantial slot trenches thatsupported plank walls define most of the houses, a few structures, suchas Inch, Coolfore and Pepperhill appear to have been built of postuprights supporting lighter wall cladding The plastic or glass sheath that is fused to and surrounds the core of an optical fiber. The cladding's mirror-like coating keeps the light waves reflected inside the core. The cladding is covered with a protective outer jacket. See fiber optics glossary. . Some of the buildings have a single room or compartment and thesetend to be the shorter examples with a length to width ratio of lessthan 1.6:1. Good examples include Ballynagilly, Tankardstown 1 andCorbally 1. Another group have two or three compartments. In theseinstances one compartment is usually considerably larger than theother(s) and this equates in size with many of the single roomstructures. The Cloghers structure, however, has three compartments ofroughly equal size. There are some exceptionally large houses, such asCloghers, Tankardstown 2 and Ballyharry 1 (phase 1). These havelength:width ratios of up to and over 2:1. The Tankardstown building hasa central compartment of over 58 sq. m. These buildings are exceptionaland most of the large compartments are c. 26-35 sq. m. In the compartmentalized com��part��men��tal��ize?tr.v. com��part��men��tal��ized, com��part��men��tal��iz��ing, com��part��men��tal��iz��esTo separate into distinct parts, categories, or compartments: "You learn . . . structures the other rooms tend to berelatively small (c. 9-15 sq. m). It has been suggested (Grogan 1980;1996) that these had ancillary functions, for storage or perhaps foranimal shelter "Dog Pound" redirects here. For the rap group, see Tha Dogg Pound.An animal shelter is a facility that houses homeless, lost or abandoned animals; primarily a large variety of dogs and cats. . The parallel arrays of postholes in the entrancecompartment at Ballyglass 1 could indicate a split level at this end ofthe structure, possibly for storing grain or fodder. Some of the largerhouses, such as Ballyglass 1 and Ballygalley 1, appear to have hadlighter, possibly moveable, screens in place of part of the moresubstantial walls. It is also possible that some of these compartmentswere not completely enclosed. At Newtown, for example, there is no slottrench across the east gable gableTriangular section formed by a roof with two slopes, extending from the eaves to the ridge where the two slopes meet. It may be miniaturized over a dormer window or entranceway. end, suggesting it could have been used asa sheltered work area open at one end to provide adequate light. While the houses discussed so far are all rectangular there is someevidence for circular houses in the early Neolithic. At Lough Gur L thefirst phase produced evidence for three circular or oval structures(Grogan & Eogan 1987: figure 35). The associated pottery isstylistically the earliest Neolithic assemblage assemblage:see collage. assemblageThree-dimensional construction made from household materials such as rope and newspapers or from any found materials. on the peninsularepresented by some simple `Dunmurry' type vessels as well as thoseof the more developed `Lyles Hill/Knockadoon' type (Grogan &Eogan 1987: figures 40, 41). It is possible that this site indicatessome architectural as well as ceramic changes although Lough Gur alsohas rectangular structures associated with pottery of `LylesHill/Knockadoon' type as well as with Middle Neolithic decoratedwares. Function It has generally been assumed that these structures had a domesticfunction (e.g. Cooney 2000: 52-70; Cooney & Grogan 1994; Grogan1996; Waddell 1998) and formed the residential focus for the`family' or other basic social units. They can be broadlyparalleled by the evidence from some British sites (Darvill 1996;Topping 1996). An attempt has been made to quantify the number ofoccupants that each house might have accommodated based on a roughallocation of 4 sq. m per person for sleeping room (TABLE 1). This isoffered simply as a general hypothesis but, taking the overall area forsingle compartment houses and the largest unit for multi-compartments,most of the houses could have been used comfortably by between 5 and 12individuals. A few could have provided sleeping quarters for many more,although this would necessitate ne��ces��si��tate?tr.v. ne��ces��si��tat��ed, ne��ces��si��tat��ing, ne��ces��si��tates1. To make necessary or unavoidable.2. To require or compel. using the entire floor area. Few of the houses had surviving floors (Lough Gur A being a rareexception) and we can only speculate as to the precise activities thattook place within them. It is probable that they acted primarily assleeping quarters, but were also used for the storage of tools, grain,fodder and personal belongings. As noted above they may have been usedon occasion to shelter animals. We might expect that social gatheringstook place in the evenings, probably involving occasional guests orvisitors as well as the constant inhabitants :This article is about the video game. For Inhabitants of housing, see Residency Inhabitants is an independently developed commercial puzzle game created by S+F Software. DetailsThe game is based loosely on the concepts from SameGame. . Cooking may also haveoccurred within the structures. The size and general layout of thebuildings, the similarity to domestic buildings of many other areas inEurope (including Bandkeramik houses, see below), the basic, and oftenrestricted, nature of the associated artefact See artifact. and faunal assemblages,the close association of two or more structures at several sites, aswell as the absence of any special material suggesting non-domesticactivity, all indicate that these structures acted primarily as houses.Most of the structures have only small amounts of associated material.The principle finds are of shouldered early Neolithic bowls but somelithic lith��ic?1?adj.Consisting of or relating to stone or rock.Adj. 1. lithic - of or containing lithium2. lithic - relating to or composed of stone; "lithic sandstone" material, stone axes or fragments, and small quantities of animalbones come from many sites. A few houses, including sites at Lough Gurand Corbally, have produced flat, sub-rectangular serpentine serpentine(sûr`pəntēn, –tīn), hydrous silicate of magnesium. It occurs in crystalline form only as a pseudomorph having the form of some other mineral and is generally found in the form of chrysotile (silky fibers) and beads. Somesites in the northeast of the country, such as Ballyharry andBallygalley, have produced very large assemblages of pottery and flint.In general it appears that the occupation debris represents small-scaleactivity such as might be expected from a domestic context. Nevertheless, it is correct to see the houses as exceptional. Theyare considerably larger and structurally more massive than the housesthat succeed them in the Middle and Late Neolithic (see below), orindeed the very similar circular houses of the Bronze Age Bronze Age,period in the development of technology when metals were first used regularly in the manufacture of tools and weapons. Pure copper and bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, were used indiscriminately at first; this early period is sometimes called the (Doody 2000).It is probable that they required co-operative labour for construction,and they were probably imbued with important status and ritualsymbolism, but indicating the intertwined nature of secular and ritualaspects of life in the Neolithic, rather than separate ritual places(Cooney 2000: 54-62). This seems to emphasize that the houses were thedomestic equivalent of the contemporary megalithic meg��a��lith?n.A very large stone used in various prehistoric architectures or monumental styles, notably in western Europe during the second millennium b.c. tombs. They may havebeen used on occasion for the social gatherings of several families (seeCross 2001) while functioning primarily as dwellings for`individual' families. A perceptual association between house andtomb is reflected by the Ballyglass 1 evidence, where the large houseseems to have been demolished in order to reuse the location for theconstruction of a central court tomb court tombn.A Neolithic tomb found chiefly in the British Isles consisting of a chamber tomb adjoined by an open space marked off by large standing stones. (O Nuallain 1972). Broadlycontemporary occupation evidence occurs beneath several megalithic tombsincluding Ballyglass 2, Ballybriest (`Carnanbane', Evans 1939), Co.Derry, Ballintoy (Mogey 1941), Ballymarlagh (Davies 1949) and Dun Ruadh(Davies 1936), Co. Antrim. Date The radiocarbon evidence and that of the associated pottery placethe construction and use of these structures in the Early Neolithic, c.3900-3400 cal BC. The pottery is of a well-dated form, shouldered,round-bottomed vessels referred to generally as Early `WesternNeolithic'. This pottery comes from the earliest use phase of anumber of court and portal tombs. From the available evidence it appearsthat these large rectangular houses were current throughout the period;several houses, including those at Ballyharry, Ballygalley and Circle L,Lough Gur, produced the earliest form of Western pottery (generallyreferred to as `Dunmurry' type), while others including the Knowth1 house, and those at Tankardstown, have a more developed form (`LylesHill/Knockadoon') with more pronounced rims and more sharplydefined shoulders. Fixed abodes? The evidence of the houses has been accepted by Irisharchaeologists, at least, as representing an important focus ofpermanent settlement patterns (Cooney 2000; Cooney & Grogan 1994;Waddell 1998). Even for the larger buildings, those that clearlyrepresent the remains of houses, how permanent was permanent? Even themost substantial examples may have had life-spans as short as 15-25years, something akin to a single early prehistoric generation, whileslighter houses may have lasted less than 10 years. Where apparentlyisolated houses have been identified these could represent relativelyshort-term occupation by a single residential group or family. However,these sites, such as Newtown or Pepperhill, may be exceptional and widerexploration in the area around them, as exemplified by the post-pipelineexcavations at Tankardstown (Gowen & Tarbett 1988), could revealmore extensive occupation evidence. Several sites have produced two or more houses. These include veryclose-knit groups at Corbally and Coolfore, more dispersedagglomerations as at Knowth, Lough Gur, Tankardstown, Ballygalley andBallyharry, and at least partly enclosed complexes at Knowth, Donegoreand Thornhill. However, do these groups of houses indicate singlefamilies in long-term residence, or groups of families in short-termpatterns? The general absence of stratigraphic stra��tig��ra��phy?n.The study of rock strata, especially the distribution, deposition, and age of sedimentary rocks.strat evidence makes thisdifficult to determine, but the complex structural history of Ballyharry1, for example, indicates several phases of rebuilding andrefurbishment re��fur��bish?tr.v. re��fur��bished, re��fur��bish��ing, re��fur��bish��esTo make clean, bright, or fresh again; renovate.re��fur . There are some strong indications from Lough Gur thatsuggest closely spaced residential patterns were part of the overallpicture. The replacement of the site B house by a second rectangularstructure, the proximity of houses at Circle L, the number of housesites on Knockadoon with comparable early (`Lyles Hill/Knockadoon') pottery (K1, K2, C1-C3 +, D1, D2, A, B1, B2), and thespatial arrangement Noun 1. spatial arrangement - the property possessed by an array of things that have space between themspacingplacement, arrangement - the spatial property of the way in which something is placed; "the arrangement of the furniture"; "the placement of the of the houses on the peninsula, all indicate thatthere was a stable population of several families (O Riordain 1954;Grogan & Eogan 1987; Cooney & Grogan 1994; Grogan 1996). Withinthis settlement each appears to have its own residential focus, eachsite influenced by the local topography and a general sense of personalspace. Several sites in the Boyne Valley, Co. Meath, have producedoccupation evidence (FIGURE 2). At Knowth there are five phases ofNeolithic settlement with two belonging to the Early (Western) Neolithic(Eogan & Roche 1997: figure 1, 5-50; Eogan & Roche 1998). In theearliest phase, dating to c. 3900-3700 cal BC, activity occurred,discontinuously, over an area of at least 8000 sq. m on the central andnortheastern side of the hill summit. This was represented by awell-defined ground surface and an associated layer of occupation soilthat produced a large assemblage of pottery. Parts of the foundations ofat least four rectangular houses have been identified. The bestpreserved of these was close to the summit beneath the passage of thewestern tomb under the large passage tomb mound (TABLE 1, Knowth 5;Eogan & Roche 1998). Another well-defined house occurred to thenortheast in Zone A (Knowth 2, although it possible that more than onestructure is represented here) and the remains of the mid section of onehouse, and the possible entrance area of another, occurred in Zone B(Knowth 3, 4). Subsequently, the domestic focus shifted to the westernside of the summit where settlement evidence consisting of a largerectangular building (Knowth 1), a smaller structure, an extensivepebbled `yard' and separate flint-working areas, and portions oftwo concentric Coming from the center, or circles within circles. For example, tracks on a hard disk are concentric. Tracks on optical media are concentric or spiral shaped (in a coil) depending on the type. palisade trenches (Eogan 1984). [FIGURE 2 OMITTED] At Thornhill a series of palisade enclosures indicate an area of upto 7500 sq. m was occupied in the Early Neolithic (Logue 2001; Anon.2000). Several structures, including apparently rectangular and circularexamples, as well as a wide array of features and other material, havebeen identified and there seem to be several phases of occupationrepresented. These sites indicate that extensive settlements occurred as part ofthe overall domestic organization. At Lough Gur and Knowth there are atleast two phases of occupation dating to the Early Neolithic. Takentogether with the existence of more than one house at other early siteslike Ballygalley, Ballyharry, Ballyglass, Corbally and Tankardstown, theweight of the evidence suggests that agglomeration ag��glom��er��a��tion?n.1. The act or process of gathering into a mass.2. A confused or jumbled mass: and longevity are afeature of Irish Early Neolithic settlement patterns. Many sites have produced domestic activity but lack structuralevidence. Amongst these are large complexes such as Dalkey Island Coordinates: Dalkey Island (Deilginis in Irish, meaning "thorny island") is situated about 10 miles south of Dublin, near the village of Dalkey, two miles south (Liversage 1968) and Feltrim Hill (Hartnett & Eogan 1964), Co.Dublin, Lyles Hill (Evans 1953) and Donegore (Mallory & Hartwell1984), Co. Antrim. Smaller sites include occupation evidence beneath twosatellite tombs (site L and Z) at Newgrange, Co. Meath (O'Kelly etal. 1978). While large rectangular houses are a feature of the earlierpart of the Neolithic, it is evident that other structural forms alsooccur occasionally, for example at Lough Gur I, Ballyglass 2, Co. Mayo(Grogan 1996), and Knocknarea, Co. Sligo (Bengtsson & Bergh 1984).The latter seems to have been occupied seasonally and was the focus ofthe large-scale production of hollow scrapers and roughouts. The wider settlement landscape In addition to the number of houses now identified there isincreasing evidence for the wider organization of the landscape in theNeolithic (Cooney 2000). The field systems at Ceide, Co. Mayo (Caulfield1983; 1988), the clusters of houses at Ballygalley, Ballyharry, Knowth,Tankardstown, Lough Gur, Slieve slieve?n. IrishA mountain.[Irish Gaelic sliabh, from Old Irish sl��ab.] Breagh and Corbally, the integratedNeolithic landscape at Knocknarea, Co. Sligo (Bergh 2000), and RoughanHill on the Burren in Co. Clare (Jones 1998), palisade enclosures atDonegore Hill, Co Antrim (Mallory & Hartwell 1984), Knowth (Eogan1984), and Thornhill, Co. Derry (Logue 2001), and banked enclosures atKnocknarea (Bergh 2000) and Lyles Hill (Evans 1953), all suggest thatclose-knit family groups may have formed an important facet of thesettlement evidence. As noted there are some ancillary buildings,perhaps workshops or stores, and associated activity outside the houseshave been identified at some sites, such as Ballygalley, Knowth, LoughGur, Richardstown and Inch; this suggests a wider array of domestic,agricultural and industrial activity than simple domiciles. In additionthe location, form and associated material of a few structures, such asKnocknarea, indicate that not all sites represent permanent habitationand that settlement patterns were made up of a variety of domestic andspecialist components. The Middle and Late Neolithic By the Middle Neolithic circular, less substantial, houses becomemore widespread (FIGURE 1). Stratigraphic evidence for the change occursat Knowth, Co. Meath, where at least 9 houses pre-date the large tombbut are later than the phase of rectangular houses; this development isalso evident at Lough Gur (Eogan & Roche 1997). What appear to becircular stakehole structures with stone hearths were found beneath thepassage tomb at Townleyhall 2, Co. Louth (Eogan 1963). These three siteshave assemblages containing a high proportion of decorated MiddleNeolithic pottery. Other sites with similar material, including Goodland(Case 1973), and Rathlin Island Rathlin Island(răth`lĭn), 5 sq mi (13 sq km), Co. Moyle, N Northern Ireland. Its cliffs, of limestone and basalt, rise at Slieveacarn to 449 ft (137 m). Farming and fishing are important. St. , Co. Antrim, Dalkey Island (Liversage1968), and Townleyhall 1, Co. Louth (Liversage 1960), have produced someevidence for structures. Two more substantial circular houses occuringat Slieve Breagh, Co. Meath (Grogan 1996), are apparently associatedwith a Grooved Ware Grooved ware is the name given to a pottery style of the British Neolithic. Its manufacturers are sometimes known as the Grooved ware people.Early in the 3rd millennium BC, Grooved ware began to appear all over the British Isles. assemblage (H. Roche pers comm.). Several circularhouses dated to the end of the Neolithic and associated with anassemblage dominated by Beaker beaker/beak��er/ (bek��er) a glass cup, usually with a lip for pouring, used by chemists and pharmacists. beakera round laboratory vessel of various materials, usually with parallel sides and often with a pouring spout. were excavated at Newgrange, Co. Meath(O'Kelly et al. 1983; Grogan 1996). The Middle to Late Neolithic houses are generally much smaller thanthose of the earlier period, averaging less than 25 sq. m in internalarea (TABLE 2). This suggests a possible reduction in the range ofactivities that took place within them as well as a slightly smallernumber of occupants (generally 5-7): floor storage space would have beenlimited and they could only have accommodated a small number for socialgatherings. It is also unlikely that they provided either enough spaceor light for anything other than small domestic tasks. These housesappear to be relatively simple domestic dwellings, lacking the status orsymbolism of the large rectangular sites. It can be suggested,therefore, that the apparent change in architectural style reflectsprimarily a change in the range of house-centred activities, as well asa possible reduction in the social role and status of the buildingsthemselves. As in the earlier period, agglomerated agglomeratedof particles, compacted together into a mass.agglomerated feedsparticulated feeds compacted or extruded into pellets and similar forms. settlement is a feature ofthe Middle and Late Neolithic. The evidence at Knowth and Newgrangesuggests that groups of four or more families may have formedclose-knit, possibly familial, units (Grogan 1996; Cooney & Grogan1994; Cooney 2000). Some of the slighter houses, such as those atNewgrange, may have had a short life-cycle. However, examination of someof the latter sites suggests that there is a longer pattern ofoccupation by smaller groups, for example at sites like Newgrange, LaughGur and Townleyhall 2 (Grogan 1996; Cooney & Grogan 1994). Theseexamples suggest the gradual movement of the focus of habitation sitesover several generations, with houses being replaced some metres or tensof metres away. This `settlement drift' has important implicationsfor our understanding of Neolithic social and settlement patterns andsuggests long-term permanence Permanencelaw of the Medes and PersiansDarius’s execution ordinance; an immutable law. [O.T.: Daniel 6:8–9]leopard’s spotsthere always, as evilness with evil men. [O.T.: Jeremiah 13:23; Br. Lit. of occupation on some sites at least. Theyprovide a reasonable basis for a model of at least one significantelement in domestic organization in the Middle and Late Neolithicperiods.TABLE 1. Rectangular Irish Neolithic houses: dimensions and otheravailable information. orien-site county tation entrance length width* Ballygalley 1 Antrim W-E W 13.0 4.2* Ballygalley 2 Antrim W-E ? ? 5.0* Ballyglass 1 Mayo NW-SE NW 12.0 4.8* Ballyharry 1 Antrim 13 6.5 (phase 1)* Ballyharry 1 Antrim 6.8 5 (phase 2)* Ballyharry 2 Antrim 5.7 3.7* Ballynagilly Tyrone E-W ? 6.5 5.5* Cloghers Kerry E-W E? 13 7.8Coolfore 1 * Louth 10 5Coolfore 2 * Louth 7 6* Corbally 1 Kildare NW-SE SE 11.07 6.73* Corbally 2 Kildare NW-SE SE 10.77 5.29* Corbally 3 Kildare NW-SE SE? 7.37 6.45Corbally KildareDrummenny Donegal NE-SW NE 9.3 6.3 Lower* Enagh Derry NW-SE WNW 6.2 4.3* Inch Down SE-NW W 6.2 4.3Knowth 1 Meath N-S NE 10.8 8.9Knowth 2 Meath NW-SE 10.87 5.98 (Zone A)Knowth 3 Meath NW-SE truncated 5.1 (Zone B)Knowth 4 Meath NW-SE W truncated ? (Zone B)Knowth 5 Meath NW-SE ? truncated 3Lough Gur A Limerick N-S SW 9.3 4.5-5.3Lough Gur B Limerick NE-SW ?NE c. 6.0 4.4Lough Gut E Limerick 7.0 6.2Lough Gur K1 Limerick E-W ? 7.2 6.6Lough Gur K2 Limerick NE-SW SE 6.5 4.5* Newtown Meath SE-NW ?W+E +9.5 6.6Platin MeathPepperhill Cork* Richardstown Louth NNW-SSE SW 11.4 7.54* Tankardstown 1 Limerick NE-SW NE 6.6 5.2* Tankardstown 2 Limerick NE-SW NE 13.9 6.3Thornhill DerryRathmullan LouthBallysacks Hills KildareKishoge Dublin E-W E? 5.8 4.6 area occsite l:w sq. m C 1 (1) C 2 (2) C 3 (3) (4)* Ballygalley 1 3.1:1 42.0 29.4 3.2 9.5 7* Ballygalley 2 ? ?* Ballyglass 1 2.5:1 57.6 27.9 17.9 9.3 7* Ballyharry 1 2:1 84.5 84.5? 21 (phase 1)* Ballyharry 1 1.4:1 34 34 9 (phase 2)* Ballyharry 2 1.5:1 21 21 5* Ballynagilly 1.2:1 35.8 -- 35.8 -- 9* Cloghers 1.67:1 72.45 22.7 20.8 29 6Coolfore 1 * 2:1 50 50Coolfore 2 * 1.17:1 42 42* Corbally 1 1.64:1 c. 73* Corbally 2 2:1 c. 55* Corbally 3 1.14:1 c. 42CorballyDrummenny 1.5:1 58.6 -- 58.6 15 Lower* Enagh 1.5:1 c. 21 c. 21* Inch 1.4:1 c. 21 c. 21 5Knowth 1 1.2:1 96 -- 96 -- 24Knowth 2 1.8:1 c. 65 65 (Zone A)Knowth 3 (Zone B)Knowth 4 (Zone B)Knowth 5Lough Gur A 1.3:1 c. 45.6 -- c. 45.6 -- 11Lough Gur B 1.4:1 +26.4 -- 26.4+ -- 7Lough Gut E 1.1:1 45.3 -- 45.3 -- 11Lough Gur K1 1.1:1 c. 48.2 -- c. 48.2 -- 12Lough Gur K2 1.4:1 29.3 -- 32.0 -- 8* Newtown 1.4:1 +62.7 33.7 +24.7 8PlatinPepperhill* Richardstown 1.5:1 77* Tankardstown 1 1.2:1 34.3 -- 34.3 -- 9* Tankardstown 2 2:1 87.6 58.4 11.6 11.3 16ThornhillRathmullanBallysacks HillsKishoge 1.261 26.68 26.7(1) end compartment, (2) central compartment, (3) end compartment,(4) possible no. of occupants, * plank built house.Shaded = no available information.TABLE 2. Circular Irish Neolithic houses: dimensions and otheravailable information. en- area occsite county trance diameter sq. m (1)Knowth (9+sites) Meath ? 6-8 m 28-3-50.3 7-12Lough Gur C1 Limerick ?SW 5.0 19.6 5Lough Gur C2 Limerick SE 6x4.7 22.5 6Lough Gur C3 Limerick ? 5.4 22.9 6Lough Gur site C Limerick ? c.5 c.19.6 5 (possible) 1Lough Gur D2 Limerick ?SE 6.7x5 26.9 7Lough Gur D3 Limerick ?SE 5x4.4 c.17.4 5Lough Gur L central Limerick ? c.5x3.5 c.14.2 4Lough Gur L A Limerick ? c.4.5 c.15.9 4Newgrange Meath ?N 4.2x3.2 13.4 3Newgrange final Meath ? 5-6 m 19.6-28.3 5-7 Neolithic (18 sites)Slieve Breagh 1 Meath SE 4.6 c.16.6 4Slieve Breagh 2 Meath ? 4.9 c.19.0 5(1) possible no. of occupantsTABLE 3. Irish Neolithic structures: dimensions and other availableinformation.site county entrance length* Ballyglass 2i Mayo ? 5* Ballyglass 2ii Mayo ? 5.7Dundrum Bay 1 Down ? diam. 2.4x2Knocknarea 1 Sligo SE 7.5Knocknarea 2 Sligo NE 6.5Lough Gur I Limerick ? 2.3Monknewtown ?SW 7.4Piperstown L Dublin * diam. 4.8Piperstown M Dublin ? diam. 6x4.5Piperstown N,P,Q Dublin SE, SE, NE diam. c. 4.5Piperstown A Dublin ?SE diam. 5.5x4.5Piperstown B Dublin ? diam. 2.3x2 area occsite width sq. m (1)* Ballyglass 2i 4 16 4* Ballyglass 2ii 2.7 c.10 3Dundrum Bay 1 4.8 1Knocknarea 1 4.5 28.3 7Knocknarea 2 4.7 24.6 6Lough Gur I 1.5 3.5 1Monknewtown 4.7 28.8 7Piperstown L 18.1 5Piperstown M 21.7 5Piperstown N,P,Q c.15.9 4Piperstown A 24.8 6Piperstown B 4.6 1(1) possible no. of occupants Acknowledgements. My thanks to Helen "To Helen" is the first of two poems to carry that name written by Edgar Allan Poe. The 15-line poem was written in honor of Jane Stanard, the mother of a childhood friend. It was first published in 1831 collection Poems of Edgar A. Roche and Ines Hagen forinsightful comments on the paper. I would also like to record mygratitude to the excavators, including Avril Purcell and Eoin Halpin,for sharing their discoveries, and to others, notably Paul Logue andJacintha Kiely, who generously discussed their material during aconference on Neolithic settlement in Belfast. References ANON. 2000. Spectacular evidence for Neolithic at Derry developmentsite, Archaeology Ireland 53: 5. APSIMON, A. 1976. Ballynagilly at the beginning and end of theIrish Neolithic, in S.J. de Laet (ed.), Acculturation acculturation,culture changes resulting from contact among various societies over time. 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