Prehistoric Ireland and Europe

University of Galway

Course Description

  • Course Name

    Prehistoric Ireland and Europe

  • Host University

    University of Galway

  • Location

    Galway, Ireland

  • Area of Study

    Anthropology, Celtic Studies, History

  • Language Level

    Taught In English

  • Course Level Recommendations

    Lower

    ISA offers course level recommendations in an effort to facilitate the determination of course levels by credential evaluators.We advice each institution to have their own credentials evaluator make the final decision regrading course levels.

    Hours & Credits

  • ECTS Credits

    5
  • Recommended U.S. Semester Credits
    2
  • Recommended U.S. Quarter Units
    3
  • Overview

    This module is an introduction to the prehistoric communities who inhabited Ireland and Europe and to theories among archaeologists about them. Archaeologists divide this long period of time into the Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age), Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age), Neolithic (New Stone Age) and Bronze Age. We begin with the earliest modern human inhabitants of Europe, their hunter-gatherer way of life, their art and their relationship to the Neanderthal communities who preceded them. We look at evidence for the first hunter-gatherers who settled in Ireland and later the settlements and rituals of the first communities to develop agriculture including their megalithic tombs. We move on to examine changes in how these communities organised themselves and their rituals over thousands of years including their adoption of bronze metalworking. The course ends with a look at the history of the study of prehistory and the significance of prehistoric sites in contemporary society.

    Core Texts

    • Waddell, J. 2000. The Prehistoric Archaeology of Ireland. Wordwell: Bray.

    Additional reading will be recommended in class or posted on Blackboard.

     

Course Disclaimer

Courses and course hours of instruction are subject to change.

Credits earned vary according to the policies of the students' home institutions. According to ISA policy and possible visa requirements, students must maintain full-time enrollment status, as determined by their home institutions, for the duration of the program.

ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits are converted to semester credits/quarter units differently among U.S. universities. Students should confirm the conversion scale used at their home university when determining credit transfer.

Please reference fall and spring course lists as not all courses are taught during both semesters.

Please note that some courses with locals have recommended prerequisite courses. It is the student's responsibility to consult any recommended prerequisites prior to enrolling in their course.

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