03-30-2008, 08:07 AM
As far as I can tell, no one seems to have bought the idea that this site is a 'fort', so the trading site remains more popular. Even so it doesn't seem to have made anyone rethink the broad outlines of Romano-Hibernian contact.
The evidence for contact between Ireland and the Empire is surprisingly thin. It falls into two halves separated by the third century when there are apparently no finds of Roman material, at all, in Ireland.
In the early period (C.1-2) it seems that the finds are thinly spread but suggestive of economic links.
In the later period they are not necessarily more numerous (indeed I think slightly less so) but more concentrated and include higher-value objects (IIRC) that have suggested more political contact, diplomatic gifts and so on. But there are traces of other influence. The Ogam alphabet is based on the Latin alphabet, for instance. The Christianisation of Ireland might have begun in the late fourth century (St Patrick being notoriously difficult to date). It is also possible that service in the Roman army increased (as well as raiding).
Irish society began to undergo colossal change in the later fourth century, which might, as elsewhere in barbaricum, be linked to increased contact with the Empire.
Some bibliography:
Barry, T., (ed.) (2000). A History of Settlement in Ireland (London).
Cooney, G., & Grogan, E., (1994). Irish Prehistory: A Social Perspective (Dublin).
Dolley, M., (1976). ‘Roman coin hoards from Ireland and the date of Saint Patrick’, in Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (1976), pp.181-90.
Edwards, N., (1990). The Archaeology of Early Medieval Ireland (London).
Freeman, P., (2001). Ireland and the Classical World (Austin, TX).
Harbison, P., (1988). Pre-Christian Ireland (London).
Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (1976). Colloquium on Hiberno-Roman Relations and Material Remains (September 1974).
Mytum, H. (1992). The Origins of Early Christian Ireland (London).
Ó CróinÃn, D., (1995). Early Medieval Ireland 400-1200 (London)
Rance, P., (2001). ‘Attacotti, Déisi and Magnus Maximus: the case for Irish federates in late Roman Britain.’ Britannia 32:243-70.
The last is interesting and (IMO) very plausible but needs a bit of a 'handle with care' notice as it is based on much later legendary material.
Cheers,
Guy
The evidence for contact between Ireland and the Empire is surprisingly thin. It falls into two halves separated by the third century when there are apparently no finds of Roman material, at all, in Ireland.
In the early period (C.1-2) it seems that the finds are thinly spread but suggestive of economic links.
In the later period they are not necessarily more numerous (indeed I think slightly less so) but more concentrated and include higher-value objects (IIRC) that have suggested more political contact, diplomatic gifts and so on. But there are traces of other influence. The Ogam alphabet is based on the Latin alphabet, for instance. The Christianisation of Ireland might have begun in the late fourth century (St Patrick being notoriously difficult to date). It is also possible that service in the Roman army increased (as well as raiding).
Irish society began to undergo colossal change in the later fourth century, which might, as elsewhere in barbaricum, be linked to increased contact with the Empire.
Some bibliography:
Barry, T., (ed.) (2000). A History of Settlement in Ireland (London).
Cooney, G., & Grogan, E., (1994). Irish Prehistory: A Social Perspective (Dublin).
Dolley, M., (1976). ‘Roman coin hoards from Ireland and the date of Saint Patrick’, in Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (1976), pp.181-90.
Edwards, N., (1990). The Archaeology of Early Medieval Ireland (London).
Freeman, P., (2001). Ireland and the Classical World (Austin, TX).
Harbison, P., (1988). Pre-Christian Ireland (London).
Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (1976). Colloquium on Hiberno-Roman Relations and Material Remains (September 1974).
Mytum, H. (1992). The Origins of Early Christian Ireland (London).
Ó CróinÃn, D., (1995). Early Medieval Ireland 400-1200 (London)
Rance, P., (2001). ‘Attacotti, Déisi and Magnus Maximus: the case for Irish federates in late Roman Britain.’ Britannia 32:243-70.
The last is interesting and (IMO) very plausible but needs a bit of a 'handle with care' notice as it is based on much later legendary material.
Cheers,
Guy
Guy Halsall
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