The legacy of Míl: Irish-Iberian connections in prehistory
Clíodhna Ní Lionáin
Supervisor: Dr. Joanna Brück, Prof. Muiris Ó Suilleabhain
Funded by: IRCHSS Post-graduate scholarship
Abstract
This project aims to examine Irish-Iberian connections in prehistory and the manner in which they have been presented in archaeological literature. By so doing it will also address the issue of the nature of contact, communication and travel in prehistory and the impact of modern socio-political concerns and archaeological models on its interpretation.
Various layers of meaning can be inferred from the project title - The legacy of Míl. While referring to the pseudo-historical 12th century account of the invasions of Ireland (Leabhar Gabhála Érenn) and specifically to the occupation from Spain led by the sons of Míl, it should not be seen as an attempt at archaeological validation. Rather its significance lies in the allusion to Irish-Iberian connections (whether fictional or not), in the recording of an origin myth with a geographically distant source, and in the cultural appropriation of this myth by Galician nationalists in the 19th and 20th centuries – a modern-day example of the application of an imported cultural item within another geographical ambit. The term legacy refers both to the archaeological manifestations of Irish-Iberian connections, and to the influence of archaeological thought and contemporary socio-political concerns on the interpretation of these connections.
Fig.1 (Clíodhna Ní Lionáin 2010). Statue of Breogán with the Tower of Hercules in the background. A Coruña, Galicia.(According to the Leabhar Gabhála, Breogán, the grandfather of Míl, constructed a tower in Brigancia, from which Ireland was visible. Later antiquarians associated this reference with the Tower of Hercules, a lighthouse with Roman foundations.)
As no recent review or synthesis has been undertaken on this topic, the primary focus of the project will be to collate, analyse and interpret cited evidence for Irish-Iberian connections as represented by artefacts, art and megalithic architecture. Other potential avenues for evidence of inter-regional contact (e.g. Mediterranean influence reaching Ireland via Iberia) will also be explored. Through an analysis of previously published work, the interpretative influence of contemporary socio-political concerns and the various schools of archaeological thought will be explored. Ethnographic studies will be employed in the examination of travel and the concept of geographical distance. From these three strands it is hoped to explore the nature of prehistoric connections, contacts, and travel – the who, the why, and the how.
Fig.2 (Clíodhna Ní Lionáin 2007). Panel of Galician rock art. Laxe das Rodas, Muros, Galicia. (As part of the recording process the engravings are highlighted with a non-permanent mixture of talcum powder and water, which washes away with rain.)