The Dingle Peninsula has a rich assemblage of human history, from Mesolithic hunter-gatherers to early Christians, to modern-day. These time periods are abundantly represented by changing funeral rites throughout the Peninsula.

In this course, we’ll explore the prehistoric, ancient, and medieval people of the Dingle peninsula by examining the migration patterns and changing funeral and religious rites in the region. We’ll study and visit Neolithic stone megaliths and cairns as the humans of Dingle transitioned from hunting and gathering to farming, the wedge tombs and circle rock art of Dingle’s Bronze age inhabitants, and the changing funerary rites that accompanied the transition to Christianity in Dingle. We’ll use this information to explore and discuss how and why these monuments were made, both from a practical and a ritual standpoint.

This course fulfils the Humanistic Inquiry, and Scientific Literacy LAE requirement.