Irish Passage tombs : Neolithic images, contexts and beliefs
This thesis seeks to take the motifs on Irish Passage tombs beyond their traditional role as passive epiphenomenon and furthers understands them as performing active roles in the Neolithic. Rather than view the images through a textual representational analogy, I utilise visual cultural and neurological studies, set within a worldview perspective to paint a picture of the possible ambiguities of life and belief at some passage tomb locations. I explore the richness of evidence from the archaeological data and literature, to move beyond previous positions, and suggest new ways to deal with a past that develops multiple narratives. Such an account is thick with paradoxes, similarities, differences, tensions, emotions, life, death, pleasures and pain. Visions, context and belief layered together often generate ruptures in daily life that can facilitate new imaginings within the rhythms and sequences of images. Within such a perspective the Irish passage tomb motifs present fresh conditions for possibility and diverse understanding. In combining broader and more fine-grained analysis of particular passage tomb sites located in the north, east and south of Ireland, I demonstrate that social complexities operate
Cochrane, Andrew James
Irish Passage tombs : Neolithic images, contexts and beliefs. This thesis seeks to take the motifs on Irish Passage tombs beyond their traditional role as passive epiphenomenon and furthers understands them as performing active roles in the Neolithic. Rather than view the images through a textual representational analogy, I utilise visual cultural and neurological studies, set within a worldview perspective to paint a picture of the possible ambiguities of life and belief at some passage tomb locations. I explore the richness of evidence from the archaeological data and literature, to move beyond previous positions, and suggest new ways to deal with a past that develops multiple narratives. Such an account is thick with paradoxes, similarities, differences, tensions, emotions, life, death, pleasures and pain. Visions, context and belief layered together often generate ruptures in daily life that can facilitate new imaginings within the rhythms and sequences of images. Within such a perspective the Irish passage tomb motifs present fresh conditions for possibility and diverse understanding. In combining broader and more fine-grained analysis of particular passage tomb sites located in the north, east and south of Ireland, I demonstrate that social complexities operate
irish passage tomb neolithic image context belief seek take motifs irish passage tomb beyond_traditional role passive understand perform active_role neolithic rather view image textual representational analogy utilise visual cultural study set_within worldview perspective paint picture possible ambiguity life belief passage tomb location explore richness evidence archaeological_data literature move_beyond previous position suggest new_way deal past develops multiple narrative account thick paradox similarity_difference tension emotion life_death pain context belief layer together often generate rupture daily_life facilitate new imaginings within sequence image within perspective irish passage tomb motifs present fresh condition_possibility diverse understanding combine broad fine_grained analysis particular passage tomb site_locate north_east south ireland social_complexity operate