Beyond biographies: A multi-stranded approach to understanding re-engagement with the past in Iron Age Britain and Ireland

Clements, Sheridan 2025. Beyond biographies: A multi-stranded approach to understanding re-engagement with the past in Iron Age Britain and Ireland. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

This thesis creates a methodology for the analysis of interactions with the past and how these relate to the construction of group identities. This begins with an exploration of collective memory and how this concept has been applied to the archaeological record. The created framework is then developed through the consideration of a variety of contexts in which engagements with the past may be materially visible. It is then applied to the analysis of three case study areas to test its efficacy. Using the developed framework, it is argued that within Orkney and Caithness, re­ engagement with Neolithic tombs through their conversion into souterrains and their inclusion within monumental roundhouses, is a result of the associations with supernatural/mythical places and entities. These associations were reciprocally encouraged and were encouraged by the development of long-term ties to place and the landscape by Iron Age communities. Within Ireland, the re-deployment of Neolithic architectural templates, such as henges, is suggested to be the result of their associations with a shared deep past. This perceived common history would have helped unify attendees of intermittent large-scale gatherings of individuals of disparate origins. Within the southwestern Fens, it is proposed that a 'history-less' landscape facilitated re-organization according to relationships with the rising Fen. Whilst there remained engagement with ritual spaces like the Flag Fen post alignment, barrows and ring­ ditches were commonly ignored. The inconsistent engagement with these and the creation of smaller settlement groups is argued to be associated with the creation of unique and specialized settlement identities within a system of regional communication, trade, and exchange. Through this thesis, the developed framework has been able to provide valuable insight and additions to both literature within the field of memory studies and to understandings of the regional diversity present within the Iron Ages of Britain and Ireland.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > History, Archaeology and Religion
Subjects:	C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CC Archaeology D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	14 July 2025
Date of Acceptance:	26 June 2025
Last Modified:	15 Jul 2025 15:51
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/179796

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