A brief overview of the Mesolithic Settlers in Mountsandel, believed to be among the first settlers in Ireland. This is a presentation created for the IM HAPPY (IMproving Hopes, Aspirations, Potential and Prospects in the Youth) Project Ulster University. http://www.imhappyni.com/

1. Introduction
 This presentation will aim to give you an insight to the Mesolithic period of
Mountsandel.
 2 very important points first.
 Water safety!
 Leave no trace.

2. Mesolithic
Mountsandel
IMproving Hopes, Aspirations, Potential and Prospects in the Youth

3. When did people first arrive?
 Mesolithic is Middle Stone Age.
 As early as 7700 BC, that is 9700 years ago.
 This was just after the last Ice Age.
 Neolithic is late Stone Age, when farming first started in Ireland.

4. Timeline
 End of last Ice Age 11000 years ago.
 Farming began here 6000 years ago.
 Newgrange 5200 years ago.
 Egyptian Pyrmids 4600 years ago.
 Great Wall of China 2200 years ago.
 Medieval Period 1500 – 500 years ago.

5. Who were they & where from?
 Probably came from West Scotland.
 They lived in small groups. Only 5000 in total (1.8mil in N.I. now).
 Mountsandel held 15 people, at most.
 They did not keep animals, or grow crops, so what did they do?
 They hunted and gathered what they needed.
 Lived closely with nature, and seen themselves as part of nature.

6. Why Mountsandel?
 The area has long been know for Salmon, Trout and Eels.
 In Mesolithic times Wild Boar and Deer would have roamed.
 Coleraine would have been a large wood with a variety of trees.
 So everything they needed was here.

7. Wild Boar
http://irisharchaeology.ie/2013/07/mount-sandel-a-mesolithic-campsite/

8. How they lived
 This was before man discovered metal.
 All tools would have been made from stone, bone or wood.
 They were very skilled at making things.
 Their huts were about 6 meters wide, a wooden frame covered with reeds
or animal skins.

9. Reconstruction of a Mesolithic hut
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_National_Heritage_Park

10. Recent Marsh Arab hut

11. Mountsandel today
 The area still has everything needed to build a Mesolithic style hut.
 You really only need 3 things.
 Sapling trees to make the frame.
 Vines to tie the frame together.
 A cover to keep the rain out.

12. Saplings

13. Vines

14. Reeds and broad leaves

15. Primitive Technology

16. Other local sites to consider