Bronze Age Chronology for Ireland

Why is this timeline different?  Just a matter of geography.  Ireland is further out from Continental Europe than
England or Scotland.  Below is a timeline indicating the differences which developed over time.
2000-1800 BC - flat copper axes, copper knifes/daggers and early halberds.  (a combination of axe,
pole and curved blade which could either be a weapon or for ceremonial use)
1800-1500 BC - flat bronze axes which have flanges with expanded ends, small daggers and lunulae
(impressive looking, crescent shaped objects, possibly worn as breast plates or for ceremonial
reasons)
1500-1250 BC - flanged axes with stop-ridges, spearheads shaped to connect to spears (or tanged)
and larger daggers.
1250-900 BC - palstave axes, socketed axes, rapiers, leaf-shaped swords, spearheads, gold torcs,
disc-headed pins, bronze razors
900-350 BC - socketed axes, notched swords, sword chapes, sickles, spearheads with openings in the
blade, horns
Copper, Community and the Bronze Age - Bronze is an alloy, or mixture, of copper and another metal,
usually tin.  

Ireland has large deposits of copper throughout the island, so Bronze Age communities started sprouting up in
those areas like Counties Cork , Kerry and Munster.  In fact one of the few known copper mines in Europe is
at Mount Gabriel in County Cork.  It dates from 1500-1200 BC and has 25 known mine shafts.  Archaeologists
believe the metal ore was extracted by heating the walls with fire and then splashing water on the walls once hot.
Sounds odd?  This process actually shatters the ore, making it easier to remove.

The tin needed to make the bronze was most likely imported in from England.

Weather and the Irish People in the Bronze Age - A wetter, colder climate starts to develop in Ireland
during the Bronze Age.  This is when the upland farms, which were over-used, start to become peat bogs and
then expand.  Peat bogs cannot support farming.  Now there was an increase in population during this time also,
so the Bronze Age technology of axes came just in time to turn the lowland forests into farms.  There were also
low land bogs, but these stemmed from the lakes left over from the Ice Age.  Wooden bridges were used to
cross over the bogs, like in England, and hoards of valuables are found throughout the bogs.
Cooking and Bathing
They used cooking places called fulacht fiadh.  There
would be a trough lined with wood dug out of the
ground.  Next to that would be a fire where stones
would be heated.  Then the hot stones were thrown
into the water until it was hot enough to boil meat.  I
know this sounds extreme, but water could boil in 30
minutes doing this.  In fact, this method was used in
parts of Ireland into the 1600's.  The technique may
have also been applied to washing and bathing.  As a
result their usage, these types of sites are always
found near water.
Fulacht Fiadh