In my essay I will be discussing Mount Sandel and the early Mesolithic in Ireland. For the last nearly one hundred years, Mount Sandel has been associated with Irish Mesolithic times. Mount Sandel is located south of Coleraine and east of the River Bann (Woodman, 1985). Between the years 1973 and 1977 Peter Woodman for the University of Cork excavated Mount Sandel (Waddell, 2006). A sieve was used to find Mesolithic artefacts. Little is known about the people who lived in or around Mount Sandel. From the evidence collected, we know that Mount Sandel was occupied both seasonal and nightly. We know that the people who lived on or around Mount Sandel had no interactivity with any other groups. From the excavation carried out by UCC, little is known about the type of tools and building material used or the type of food which was eaten however the main expectation is hazel nuts. …show more content…
The dates which were produced in Belfast were from the same pits which were dated in Groningen which need more investigation. Another problem which arose from Mount Sandel was the destruction due to the extensive excavations which make it difficult whether all sites belonged to the same settlement. Another problem that arose from Mount Sandel was the unexplained pits that were scattered around the main settlement (Woodman, 1985). Their use, purpose and function have not been suggested. Also another problem that arose from Mount Sandel was the amount of food remains excavated. From the excavation they found hazel nuts which indicated little autumn occupation. Due to this lack of evidence it is questioned if there is a genuine lack of autumn occupation or if the people who lived there survived seasonal. There has been evidence found of small bones in pits which has created a false impression of broken occupation on the site (Woodman,