<< Books/Products >> Book Review: The Prehistoric Burial Sites of Northern Ireland
Submitted by ainsloch on Friday, 28 November 2014 Page Views: 4299
ReviewsCountry: Ireland (Northern)
Given the sheer number of prehistoric sites in the UK and Ireland, compiling comprehensive inventories would appear to be a fairly daunting task. One only has to look to the ongoing Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland, which was initiated in 1949 and has only published seventeen of the twenty-six counties of Ireland to date – despite focusing on a fairly narrow range of site types.
All the more reason then why the authors of The Prehistoric Burial Sites of Northern Ireland should be commended for their efforts. Harry and June Welsh have spent the last five years compiling an inventory of around 3300 prehistoric burial sites, and the result is a practical and invaluable reference work.
Site classification consists of no less than thirty-two types, ranging from cremation pits to standing stones and stone circles. Sites are arranged by county, and individually assigned a unique Sites and Monuments Record number, along with an OS altitude above sea level, an Irish Grid map number, a County Series map number and an Irish Grid reference.
A concise account of each site is accompanied wherever possible by plates, plans and illustrations, which together exceed five hundred in number. It is sobering to realise that around a third of the total of recorded monuments in Northern Ireland no longer exist or cannot be located, but another big plus for this book has to be their inclusion.
Besides its primary utility as an inventory this book highlights the incredible diversity and importance of prehistoric sites in Northern Ireland, whilst providing us with a timely reminder of just how vulnerable they are, and in need of continued monitoring and protection.
Review by N. Lievense. (Ainsloch)
The Prehistoric Burial Sites of Northern Ireland by Harry and June WelshPublished by Archaeopress, 2014.
ISBN 9781784910068
xi+478 pages; illustrated throughout in black and white.
Available in printed paperback (£63) or PDF eBook edition (£53)
Publisher's summary:
Much has been written about the history of Northern Ireland, but less well-known is its wealth of prehistoric sites, particularly burial sites, from which most of our knowledge of the early inhabitants of this country has been obtained. This work brings together information on all the known sites in Northern Ireland that are in some way associated with burial.
It has been compiled from a number of sources and includes many sites that have only recently been discovered. A total of 3332 monuments are recorded in the inventory, ranging from megalithic tombs to simple pit burials. In addition to providing an inventory of all known sites, along with a selection of photographs and plans, the work also includes an introduction to the prehistory of Northern Ireland, an explanation of terms and a full bibliography.
The aim is to provide a foundation for more specific research projects, based on a standardised information format of this largely untapped resource. For example, the work highlights several large and previously unrecognised clusters of prehistoric burial monuments, some located at unusual landscape features. Hopefully, further analysis will lead to a greater understanding of why this should be and stimulate a renewed interest in the prehistory of Northern Ireland. Enhanced awareness of this should complement knowledge of the historical period to provide a more balanced picture of human activity here.
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