Page 8 - IRISH HISTOEY - CHAPT 1_Neat

A Bare Bones History of Ireland Chap 1

Given the fact that all Bronze Age artefacts so far found add up to around 0.2% of this
total, and notwithstanding those that have been destroyed or lost down the years, it seems
that Ireland exported a lot of copper during the Bronze Age. By contrast, there is not
much tin in Ireland, and most of the tin that was needed to make the bronze seems to have
been imported from what is now England.

Watch: The ancient Bronze casting process https://youtu.be/dAHv9bfRYqk

The Iron Age (500BC - 500AD)

We refer to the Iron Age as the time when people began to use iron tools and
weapons. This began in about 500 BC. Iron tools were much stronger than bronze.
The arrival of Iron in Ireland coincided with another monumental arrival – our
ancestors, the Celts.

The Iron Age in Ireland spans almost one thousand years from the end of the
Bronze Age to the start of the Early Christian Era during the fifth century AD.
Knowledge of using Iron metalwork gradually spread throughout Ireland from
Europe where Iron was increasingly being used in metalwork.

The Celts in Ireland (500 BC)
The first historical sign of Celtic influence in Ireland is usually dated between 800 BC
and 400 BC (some would suggest an earlier date for the Celtic language) and is
represented by carved stonework and worked metal but it is only from around 300BC
that a distinctive Iron-age is recognized as having taken hold in Ireland, particularly in
the northern half which would suggest that Antrim was the gateway for Celtic
influence to enter Ireland.
Recognizable and distinctly Irish made objects of bronze and gold have been
recovered from the bogs and marshes of Ireland. Many of the artifacts are parts of
hoards and consist of items of personal adornment, (Celts seemed to have a particular
fondness for beautifully decorated torcs and broaches), weapons, tools, horse
adornments, and feasting equipment.
But, most importantly, they possessed the technology to work iron and, as this had
proved to be a much stronger metal than bronze, the Celts had a great advantage over
their neighbours in battle.
Today, Celtic is often used to describe people of the Celtic nations (the Bretons, the
Cornish, the Irish, the Manx, the Scots and the Welsh) and their respective cultures
and languages.

The Birth of the Steel Industry (2000 BC to 1000 BC)
When, nearly a century ago, British archaeologist Howard Carter found
Tutankhamun’s tomb (c. 1342 – 1325 BC) and laid eyes on this object, it was clear the
dagger was special. What archaeologists did not know at the time was that the blade
came from space.
Iron that comes from meteorites has a higher
nickel content than iron dug up from the
ground and smelted by humans. In the years
since Carter’s big discovery, researchers have found that not only King Tut’s dagger
but also virtually all iron goods dating to the Bronze Age were made from iron that fell
from the sky.

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