Death in Irish Prehistory
Gabriel Cooney
Royal Irish Academy
2023
This book provides a well-informed and rigorous synthesis of the current state of knowledge on the archaeology of mortuary practices and places in Irish prehistory. It is arranged both chronologically from the Mesolithic through to the Iron Age and thematically with an emphasis throughout on life and death, the living, the dead and ancestors.It is written in an engaging manner, with sensitive reflections on how the living deal with death today as well as in the past.Evocative illustrations by Conor McHale, combined with beautiful book design by Fidelma Slattery, complement the text superbly. These features will make the book attractive and accessible for archaeologists and non-specialists alike.
Hunter-Gatherer Ireland: Making Connections in an Island World
Graeme Warren
Oxbow Books
2022
This book provides an informative, critical and absorbing overview of Ireland's first human inhabitants during the Mesolithic. Through its mobilisation of contemporary archaeological theory, it foregrounds Mesolithic people and their connections with other people, plants, animals, places and spirits.In the process, it engages with current debates on topics spanning our endangered climate through to the legacies of colonialism in archaeological thought and practice.And through an emphasis on ‘difference’, it successfully defines the distinctive features of the Irish Mesolithic while also explaining points of contact and comparison with the European Mesolithic. It is worth adding here that the author strongly underlines the importance of European scientific networks and research funding. These multiple dimensions will ensure the book’s scholarly impact on hunter-gatherer archaeology globally.