Book Description

The Burren and the Aran Islands form a region renowned for its geology, flora and archaeology. Possibly the greatest interest is in the archaeology but the ancient monuments are often perceived as shrouded in mystery and beyond explanation. Recent studies have shed considerable light on the functions of these monuments and the people who built them. This book presents these archaeological interpretations in an attractive and engaging manner. After a brief introduction, the book is divided into two parts, the Burren and the Aran Islands. Significant sites are highlighted while "panel" features explain more tangential topics, e.g., how to build a wedge tomb. Contents include Colonization and Early Settlement, From Neolithic to Bronze Age. The Celts, The Arrival of Christianity, Early Medieval Chiefs and their Stone Forts, and finally Later Tower Houses and Military Constructions. In this heavily illustrated book, captions are often extensive and can be read separately or with the text. Overall it can be read cover-to-cover or dipped into. Dr. Jones' writing transforms the dry academic material of excavation reports and archaeological inventories into an engaging and understandable story. He is also the author of "Wild Plants of the Burren & Aran Islands which is available from Dufour.