ARCH06050 2019 Early Medieval and Viking Ireland
This course will cover the archaeology and history of the period dating from approximately AD 400 to the end of the 12th century AD. Over this period, lasting only 800 hundred years, Ireland changed dramatically. It started with the Roman Empire's only major impact on Ireland, the introduction of Christianity followed by the invasion of the Vikings and finishing with the arrival of the Anglo-Normans. The change in religion led to the introduction of several new site types, burial practices and aspects of material culture. The Vikings founded Ireland's first urban centres and were responsible for the importation of hundreds of new artefact types. The richness and density of the archaeological remains they left behind has led to Ireland having some of the best preserved Viking archaeology anywhere in the world. The Early Medieval Period also heralds the arrival of the Historic Period in Ireland with the first written records.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module the learner will/should be able to;
Identify and categorise relevant items of Early Medieval and Viking material culture.
Demonstrate an awareness of major Early Medieval excavations and their contribution to our knowledge of the period.
Teaching and Learning Strategies
The course material will be taught principally through lectures and reading. The essay will help develop research and writing skills.
Module Assessment Strategies
An essay on a topic of the student's choice, relating to the Early Medieval and Viking Periods and a final exam interrogating the retention of key facts and interpretations. The field trip will encompass and array of Early Medieval sites in Sligo/Leitrim.
Repeat Assessments
standard
Module Dependencies
Indicative Syllabus
Topics to be covered include: The Church and Religion; Politics and Society, Material Culture; The Vikings in Europe; The Vikings in Ireland; Viking Excavations in Ireland; Early Medieval Settlement and Economy; Monastic sites; Viking Religion, Early Medieval Death and Burial; Early Medieval Writing and Illuminated Manuscripts; Reliquaries and Shrines. There will be a field trip to a number of Early Medieval Sites in the Sligo area.
Coursework & Assessment Breakdown
Coursework Assessment
Title | Type | Form | Percent | Week | Learning Outcomes Assessed | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Presentation | Continuous Assessment | Performance Evaluation | 10 % | Week 13 | 4,5,6 |
2 | Essay | Continuous Assessment | Essay | 40 % | Week 13 | 4,5,6 |
End of Semester / Year Assessment
Title | Type | Form | Percent | Week | Learning Outcomes Assessed | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Final exam | Final Exam | Closed Book Exam | 50 % | End of Term | 1,2,3 |
Full Time Mode Workload
Type | Location | Description | Hours | Frequency | Avg Workload |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lecture | Flat Classroom | Lecture | 2.5 | Weekly | 2.50 |
Independent Learning | Not Specified | Self Study | 4.5 | Weekly | 4.50 |
Required & Recommended Book List

2014-02-21 Early Medieval Ireland AD 400-1100: the Evidence from Archaeological Excavations Royal Irish Academy
ISBN 1904890601 ISBN-13 9781904890607
How did people create and live in their own worlds in early medieval Ireland; what did they actually do; and to what end did they think they were doing it? This book investigates and reconstructs from archaeological evidence how early medieval Irish people lived together as social groups, worked the land as farmers, worshipped God, made and used objects and buried their dead around them. It focuses on the evidence from excavations conducted between 1930 and 2012 and uses that evidence to explore how people used their landscapes, dwellings and material culture to effect and negotiate social, ideological and economic continuities and changes during the period ad 400 - 1100.
Module Resources
The Irish Ringfort by Matthew Stout
The Archaeology of Early Medieval Ireland by Nancy Edwardsnone
none
None
none