Pollen analysis is the study of pollen remains to fi nd out what was growing at a site during a particular time period. Archaeologists have records of when certain pollens were common, so if they fi nd that pollen when excavating, they can match it to the correct period. Pollen analysis can be used to date objects and can also tell us when forests were cleared and farming began in an area. This method was used at the important Neolithic site of the Céide Fields in Co. Mayo.
Pine tree pollen under a microscope Example | The Céide Fields (Neolithic period, 3,500–2,000 BC)
The Céide Fields were discovered by accident in the 1930s by a teacher who, while cutting turf in the bog, noticed a pile of stones. Buried underneath the bog, archaeologists found stone walls stretching for several kilometres. People lived here between 4,000 and 3,000 BC. These Neolithic people were mainly dairy farmers. That they built walls shows that they were organised, protected their animals from wild animals and that they divided up the land amongst them. The pollen analysis showed a dramatic drop in tree pollens, proving that pine forest areas were cleared to create fi elds for farming. Among the interesting objects found were a stone cutting of a primitive plough, a quern used for grinding corn, some arrowheads and pieces of pottery. The blanket bog which grew over the fi elds preserved the site, leaving it in excellent condition for archaeologists to study it.
Aerial photograph of the Céide Fields
COLLABORATE: You have learned about the possibility of history having to be reinterpreted when new evidence is discovered. Work in small groups to fi nd out why some archaeologists think that the date we have for the Céide Fields may be wrong!
