Page "Crannog" Paragraph 9

The earliest construction of a crannog is the completely artificial Neolithic islet of Eilean Domhnuill, Loch Olabhat on North Uist in Scotland.

Eilean Domhnuill has produced radiocarbon dates ranging from 3650 to 2500 BC while Irish crannogs appear from middle Bronze Age layers at Ballinderry ( 1200 – 600 BC ).

Prior to the Bronze Age, the existence of artificial island settlement in Ireland is not as clear.

While lake-side settlements are evident in Ireland from 4500BC these settlements are not crannogs in that they were not intended to be islands.

Despite having a tremendous chronology, their use was not at all consistent or unchanging.

Crannog construction and occupation reached a floruit in Scotland from approximately 800BC to AD200.

Not surprisingly, crannogs have useful defensive properties, although there appears to be more significance to prehistoric use than simple defense as very few weapons or evidence for destruction appear in excavations of prehistoric crannogs.

In Ireland, crannogs tend to reach a floruit during the Early Historic period when they were the homes and retreats of kings, lords, prosperous farmers and occasionally socially marginalised groups such as monastic hermits or metalsmiths who could work in isolation.

However, despite earlier concepts of a strict Early Historic evolution, Irish excavations are increasingly uncovering examples which date to the ' missing ' Iron Age in Ireland.