Seasonal settlement and the interpretation of upland archaeology in the Galtee Mountains, Ireland

Abstract

This paper discusses the complexity of archaeological evidence associated with seasonal upland settlement in Ireland, a subject which has only recently started to come to light. As a result of the lack of attention, many uncertainties remain in the interpretation of upland sites compared to lowland archaeology. The paper uses a case-study of the Galtee Mountains in the south of Ireland, where it focuses on the material culture of transhumance in the post-medieval period. It explores two important aspects of this: first, the activities of transhumant herders in the wider landscape as revealed by the various material remains they have left behind; and second, the identification of chronological depth in these landscapes, as revealed by the morphology of summer (booley) houses and the context in which they are found.

KEYWORDS:

• Upland archaeology
• transhumance
• potato cultivation
• butter production
• seasonality
• Galtee Mountains