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ARCH31070

Academic Year 2026/2027

First People of Ireland (ARCH31070)

Subject:
Archaeology
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Archaeology
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Martin Moucheron
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Stone/Bronze/Iron Age, Palaeolithic/Mesolithic/Neolithic, simple/complex hunter-gatherer, hunter-gatherer/farmer,… We have all been trained to arrange archaeological material and past people’s lives into familiar categories. Our interpretations of the deep past are labelled into boxes, sequences, types, models, and theories – into which change, histories and stories, individual and collective lives, and incredibly diverse worldviews are forced to fit. These general categories have a sinister past: they contributed to justify colonisation, land grabs, capitalism, and the subjugation of Native people, including in colonial and postcolonial Ireland.

In this module, we will outline the received wisdom about the first people who lived on this island, then we will take things the other way round: we will think critically and reflexively about how we think, who is to decide what to say, in whose name, and how it shapes the ways we see the world. Then by putting together the evidence we currently have, we will try to create different stories about the many lives lived on the island since the ice melted away, and until people started making pottery, growing crops, and raising cattle and sheep. Can we invent an archaeology of the past without using its categories?

To achieve this, we will
1. deconstruct things: we will look again at some of the archaeological sites and material from the period labelled ‘Mesolithic’ in Ireland and in North-West Europe, and turn it against past (and present) interpretations and concepts to see what holds;
2. reconstruct things: we will explore and discuss new data, new ideas, and new ways of doing archaeology of the First People of Ireland, and test them to see what holds.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Objectives: by the end of the module, students will:
- have a general knowledge of the material and interpretations of Early Holocene (8,000-4,000BC) archaeology in Ireland, and have been introduced to Early Holocene archaeology in the north-west of Europe;
- have a critical knowledge of, and developed critical thinking about, the main epistemological theoretical concepts structuring the field of Early Holocene archaeology;
- be able to listen to, relate, and learn from others, and to actively contribute and facilitate an inclusive dialectic and dialogic debate;
- through their journal, in-class debates, and two assessments, be aware of their role and responsibility as active and self-aware producers of knowledge in archaeology.

Indicative Module Content:

The content will cover a broad range of subjects, but can be structured in two articulated parts:
- a critical introduction to the archaeological evidence left by the First People to live in Ireland from c.8,000 to c. 4,000 BCE - artefacts, practices, sites, landscapes,...
- an in-depth reflexion on the ways this evidence was interpreted: starting with questioning the wide-range use of the terms 'Mesolithic' and 'hunter-gatherer', but also identifying the historical/political context and contemporary values in which these interpretations developed (evolutionism and racism; colonialism and capitalism; gender roles and feminism; Western and Indigenous worldviews) - and their effects on minorities and marginal groups.

There will be a non-mandatory field trip to Dalkey Island, Co. Dublin (TBC, weather permitting) during the first week of the Spring study break (Monday 8 to Friday 12 March 2027): we will explore and reflect on what was labelled a ‘Mesolithic shell midden’ when excavated in the 1950s, how it contributed to shape the way we see people labelled ‘hunter-gatherers’ in Ireland, and what has changed since.
- This involves a short trip (c.300m / 5min) on a small boat, which only operates when the weather is calm.
- Costs: the School of Archaeology will take in charge the cost of the ferry, but students are expected to make their way to Dalkey’s Colliemore Harbour and back on their own resources – there is a DART station and regular bus service in Dalkey, which is situated c.10km from UCD Campus.
- Accessibility: there is a step down/up to get in/out the boat, and the island pier can be slippery. There will be minimal walking (c.20m each way) on a relatively even grassy surface, however there could be rabbit holes.
- Facilities: there are no facilities on the island, and you are strongly invited to bring food (packed lunch) and hot/cold drink - a strict no-litter policy is in place. We will stay a maximum of two hours on the island.
- Equipment: the island is exposed to wind/rain, and there is no shelter; you must wear suitably waterproof and warm clothes (incl. hat and gloves) and footwear (hiking boots).
- If you have health or access concerns, please discuss this with me as soon as possible.

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Competent

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Competent

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Competent

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Competent

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Advanced Beginner

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Competent

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Competent

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Competent

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Novice

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Novice

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Advanced Beginner

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 1

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 1

Reduce inequality within and among countries 1
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

76
Lectures

24
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The one motto for this module is “yes…, but…”. Concretely, you will be asked to think about a concept, a question, a statement or a non-text document, and to write it down in a journal before we meet weekly, starting with what you agree with (the “yes” part), and then what you disagree with (the “but” part). That way you can keep track of how your perspective evolves throughout the module. The typical class will start with a short lecture, followed by an active debate where everybody is encouraged to contribute by agreeing, then disagreeing with what is being said, to end with a summary of what we agree and disagree on and a setup for the following week.

The inspiration for the structure, practices, and assessment of this module is the Pedagogy of Kindness (Grant and Pittaway 2025), which Cate Denial (2019) describes as "believing students and believing in them". Kindness extends to all people involved in the module, with a particular attention to creating an inclusive, respectful, caring environment. Inclusive dialectics focuses on building ideas together, not on trying to win an argument. Finally, although they include a written element, Assessments 1 and 2 are not essays, but encourage students to explore other forms of reflection and other ways of developing, organising, and presenting their ideas.

Use of AI-generated content:
No Generative AI content is allowed in the written component for assessments in this module. You may choose to use Generative AI for brainstorming and generating ideas for improving work, or even for generating visuals, but remember that this can bring you down a confusing and incorrect path - AI is prone to 'hallucinations', i.e. results that are false and 'imagined' entirely. Always mention explicitly what specific content is AI-generated, but most importantly have confidence in your own reading, thoughts and voice.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Design a new interpretive display in the 'Mesolithic' section of the National Museum of Archaeology - form, content, objectives, key concepts for the audience, and justification (c.700 words). Week 8 Graded Yes
35
 Yes
Reflective Assignment: Based on your journal entries ahead of each weekly lectures, put together c.15 non-text documents describing a representation of who your First People would be, and justify your choice (c.1000 words). Week 14 Graded Yes
65
 Yes

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Warren, G. 2022, Hunter-Gatherer Ireland: Making Connections in an Island World, Oxford, Oxbow Books.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Mon 10:00 - 10:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 13:00 - 13:50
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