The Burren and the Aran Islands : exploring the archaeology / Carleton Jones.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The Burren and the Aran Islands form a region renowned for its geology, flora and archaeology. Possibly the greatest interest is in its archaeology but the ancient monuments are often perceived as shrouded in mystery and beyond explanation. This work presents these archaeological interpretations.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Introduction (p. 17)
• The Landscape (p. 19)
• The Archaeology (p. 20)
• Acknowledgements (p. 22)
• The Burren
• The First People on the Burren (p. 25)
• The First Farmers on the Burren (p. 27)
• Poulnabrone Portal Tomb (p. 30)
• Poulawack Cairn (p. 33)
• Doolin Stone Axe Production Site (p. 40)
• Turlough Hill (p. 42)
• The Parknabinnia Chambered Tomb (Cl. 153) on Roughan Hill (p. 46)
• Territory and Society on the Burren in the Neolithic (p. 51)
• From Neolithic to Bronze Age (p. 55)
• Competition and Social Upheaval on Roughan Hill (p. 56)
• Excavating a Farmstead on Roughan Hill (p. 60)
• Dating the Ancient Field Walls on Roughan Hill (p. 63)
• The Wedge Tombs of the Burren (p. 65)
• Building a Wedge Tomb (p. 68)
• Gold, Power and War (p. 71)
• Gifts to the Gods (p. 73)
• The Cairns of the Burren (p. 76)
• Coolnatullagh Cairn (p. 77)
• Celts? (p. 79)
• The Coming of Christianity (p. 84)
• Rathborney (p. 86)
• Oughtmama (p. 88)
• The Horizontal Water Mill at Oughtmama (p. 90)
• St Mac Duagh's Hermitage at Keelhilla (p. 93)
• Glencolumbkille (p. 95)
• Cahercommaun and the Early Medieval Chiefdoms of the Burren (p. 98)
• The Excavation of Cahercommaun (p. 101)
• Wool Production at Cahercommaun (p. 104)
• Ironworking at Cahercommaun (p. 105)
• The Chiefdom of Corcu Modruad (p. 108)
• The Vikings (p. 109)
• The Ringforts of the Burren (p. 109)
• The O'Davoren Law School at Cahermacnaughten (p. 113)
• Medieval Churches and Society on the Burren (p. 115)
• Kilfenora (p. 116)
• The High Crosses of Kilfenora (p. 120)
• Corcomroe Cistercian Abbey (p. 122)
• Killilagh and Toomullin Churches in Doolin (p. 128)
• Carran Church (p. 130)
• Noughaval Church and Settlement (p. 131)
• Relics and Pilgrimage on the Burren (p. 134)
• Killinaboy (p. 136)
• Temple Cronan (p. 138)
• The Veneration of the T-Shaped Crozier in North Clare (p. 140)
• The Tower Houses of the Burren (p. 142)
• Contemporary Travellers' Accounts of Tower Houses (p. 143)
• Carn Mhic Tail (p. 147)
• Leamaneh Castle (p. 148)
• Nineteenth-Century Military Fortifications on the Burren (p. 151)
• The Aran Islands
• The Colonisation and Early Settlement of the Aran Islands (p. 155)
• The Wedge Tombs of the Aran Islands (p. 157)
• The Cnoc Raithni Burial Mound, Inisheer (p. 159)
• The Late Bronze Age Chiefdom of Dun Aonghasa (p. 161)
• The Form of the Original Late Bronze Age Hillfort (p. 162)
• Controlling Production at Dun Aonghasa (p. 165)
• Excavating Dun Aonghasa (p. 166)
• The Stone Forts of the Aran Islands (p. 169)
• Dun Aonghasa, Inishmore (p. 172)
• Dun Eoghanachta, Inishmore (p. 177)
• The Other Stone Forts (p. 178)
• Life Outside the Forts (p. 184)
• Baile na mBocht, Inishmore (p. 185)
• Christianity and Pilgrimage on the Aran Islands (p. 189)
• St Enda's Monastery of Cill Einne (Killeany), Inishmore (p. 190)
• Temple Benan (p. 191)
• Tighlagheany (p. 195)
• Cross-Decorated Stones of the Aran Islands (p. 197)
• Excavating St Ciaran's Monastery (Teampaill Chiarain), Inishmore (p. 199)
• Temple Brecan (The Seven Churches), Inishmore (p. 204)
• The High Crosses of Temple Brecan (p. 208)
• The Leapacha of Temple Brecan (p. 210)
• Cill Cheanainn, Inishmaan (p. 212)
• Teampall Chaomhain, Inisheer (p. 214)
• Other Interesting Church Sites (p. 215)
• Radiocarbon Dating the Churches of the Aran Islands (p. 219)
• Clochain (p. 220)
• Power Struggles on the Aran Islands (p. 222)
• O'Brien's Castle, Inisheer (p. 223)
• Arkin Fort, Inishmore (p. 224)
• Archaeology of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries (p. 227)
• Signal Towers (p. 227)
• Roadside Cenotaphs and Wayside Cairns (p. 229)
• Site Index (p. 232)
• Maps (p. 235)
• Glossary (p. 245)
• Bibliography (p. 250)
• Index (p. 263)