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A New Bayesian Chronology for Mesolithic Occupation at Mount Sandel, Northern Ireland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2014

Alex Bayliss
Affiliation:
English Heritage, 1 Waterhouse Square, 138–142 Holborn, London, EC1N 2ST
Peter Woodman
Affiliation:
6 Brighton Villas, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland (pwoodman@ucc.ie)

Abstract

Mount Sandel has long been an iconic site for the Irish Mesolithic, having produced evidence for a sequence of occupation huts and pits and the earliest radiocarbon dates for the Mesolithic on the island. This paper presents details of a recent programme of redating whereby the application of Bayesian modelling has confirmed the early date for the site but also helped to refine its internal chronology. The major phase of hut building at Mount Sandel took place within a much shorter period of time than had previously been thought, perhaps only a generation or two. The dating of pits of differing sizes suggests that many of them were created during other slightly later visits to the area. The implications of the dating programme for the place of Mount Sandel in the Irish Mesolithic, and for the chronology of the period and its relations with that on the British mainland, are discussed.

Résumé

Il y a longtemps que le Mont Sandel est un site iconique pour le mésolithique irlandais, ayant fourni des témoignages pour une séquence de huttes et de fosses d'une occupation et les plus anciennes datations au C14 pour le mésolithique sur l'île. Cette étude présente les découvertes d'un récent programme de redatation au travers duquel l'application du modèle bayesien a confirmé la date très ancienne du site, mais a également contribué à raffiner sa chronologie interne. La phase principale de construction de huttes au Mont Sandel a eu lieu sur une période de temps beaucoup plus courte qu'on ne l'avait pensé auparavant, peut-être seulement une génération ou deux. La datation des fosses de différentes tailles suggère que beaucoup d'entre elles furent creusées à l'occasion de nouvelles visites plus tardives à la région. On discute les implications de ce programme de datation pour la place du Mont Sandel dans le mésolithique irlandais, et pour la chronologie de la période et ses relations avec celle de la métropole britannique.

Résumen

Desde hace tiempo Mount Sandel ha sido considerado un yacimiento de carácter icónico para el Mesolítico irlandés, puesto que en él se ha encontrado evidencia de una secuencia de cabañAs de habitación y de pozos, además de las fechas obtenidas por carbono-14 más antiguas en la isla. Este trabajo presenta detalles de un reciente programa de re-datación, en el que, a través de la aplicación de modelos bayesianos, se ha confirmado la antigüedad del yacimiento y se ha contribuido a refinar su cronología interna. La fase más importante de construcción de cabañas en Mount Sandel ocurrió en un periodo de tiempo mucho más corto de lo que se pensaba originalmente, quizá en el espacio de sólo una o dos generaciones. La datación de los pozos de distintos tamaños sugiere que muchos fueron cavados durante visitas a la zona ligeramente posteriores. El trabajo trata de las implicaciones del programa de datación para el yacimiento de Mount Sandel en el Mesolítico irlandés, y para la cronología del periodo y sus relaciones con la cronología británica.

Zusammenfassung

Der Sandel ist seit langem eine ikonische Fundstelle für das irische Mesolithikum, da er sowohl eine Besiedlungssequenz in Form von Hütten und Gruben als auch die frühesten Radiokarbondaten des Mesolithikums der Insel erbracht hat. Dieser Artikel präsentiert Details eines neu aufgelegten und kürzlich durchgeführten Datierungsprogramms, das mit Hilfe der Baysianischen Modellierung das frühe Datum der Fundstelle bestätigen und eine interne Chronologie erstellen konnte. Die Hauptbesiedlungsphase von wahrscheinlich nur einer oder zwei Generationen stellte sich dabei als viel kürzer dar als es bisher angenommen worden war. Die Datierung von unterschiedlich großen Gruben deutet darauf hin, dass viele von ihnen zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt angelegt wurden. Weiterhin werden die Implikationen des Datierungsprogramms sowohl für die Fundstelle selbst in Bezug auf das irische Mesolithikum als auch allgemein für die Chronologie dieser Zeitperiode und ihre Beziehungen mit anderen britischen Fundstellen diskutiert.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 2009

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