Glossary

A.D.
Anno Domini: after the birth of Christ
Archaeology
the study of the past through material remains
Artefact
object made by people, e.g. sword, axe
Autobiography
story of a person's life written by that person
B.C.
before the birth of Christ
Biography
the story of a person's life written by somebody else
Carbon dating
technique used date ancient objects by measuring the amount of carbon-14 in them
Chronology
the study of time and dates; putting events in order of time
Dig (excavation)
digging up the earth in order to look for historical objects (artefacts)
Dendrochronolgy
(tree-ring dating) finding out the age of timber by studying the pattern of rings
Excavation (dig)
digging up the earth in order to look for historical objects (artefacts)
History
the story of the past, using evidence
Oral sources
interviews or tape recordings of people's memories of events
Pollen
produced by plants; analysis of pollen found in ancient sites helps archaeologists to find out what plants were growing at the time, when forests were cleared and when farming spread
Primary sources
sources which come directly from the time that is being studied (e.g. weapons, tools, paintings, letters)
Propaganda
use of information to influence opinions of people to ensure power
Secondary Sources
sources which come from after the time which is being studied (e.g. a history book)
Stratigraphy
a method of dating objects where the oldest layers are at the bottom and they youngest layers are at the top
Visual Sources
photographs, paintings
Amphitheatre
a round arena such as the Colosseum used for gladitor contests in ancient Rome
Aqueduct
bridge for carrying water in ancient Rome
Atrium
central courtyard in a Roman house
Catacombs
underground tombs used by Christians in ancient Rome for burials and to hold masses
Colosseum
arena in ancient Rome used for gladiator fighting
Forum
the marketplace in the city centre in ancient Rome
Gladiator
a slave who is a specially trained figher in ancient Rome
Insula
apartment block in ancient Rome
Legion
a division of the army in ancient Rome, usually 5000 soldiers
Legionary
a soldier in a legion in ancient Rome
Stola
long dress worn by women in ancient Rome
Toga
a long robe for men in ancient Rome
Tunic
short garment worn by men and women in ancient Rome
Villa
a country house or estate in ancient Rome
Aos Dána
people with special skills in Celtic times, e.g. druids
Brehon
a judge in Celtic Ireland
Bronze
metal made from a mixture of tin and copper
Cist burial/grave
burial in a small rectangular grave
Corbelling
a method of building a roof where flat stones were put on top of one another
Court Cairn
tombs in the Neolithic period with an open entrance, an inner burial chamber & covered by a mound of stones
Crannóg
artificial island dwelling using during the Iron Age
Derbhfine
royal family in Celtic society
Druid
priest in Celtic society
File
poet in Celtic Society
Hill Fort
large circular forts on high ground with ditches all around, e.g. Hill of Tare in Co Meath
Lunala
Neck ornament of the Bronze Age
Megalith
large stone
Mesolithic
the Middle Stone Age
Neolithic
New Stone Age
Ogham
standing stone with ogham script on it
Passage tomb/grave
a tomb with a passage that leads to one or more burial chambers, covered by a mound of stones or earth (e.g. Newgrange)
Portal tomb/dolmen
tombs made of huge upright stones with a giant capstone on top
Promontory fort
fort built on a headland
king in Celtic society
Ring fort
a farmstead surrounded by one or more banks of earth and ditches
Souterrain
underground passage or storage area in a fort ring
Stone Circle
standing stones arranged in a circle
Tánaiste
next in line to be Taoiseach in a Gaelic clan
Torc
a circular neck ring used by the Celts
Tuath
kingdom in Celtic society
Wattle and daub
interwoven sticks covered by mud and used to make walls
Wedge tomb
tomb with large flat stones, some at the side acting as walls and large capstones on top; wedge-shaped in design
Microlith
Small stone usually made of flinth
Bracae
Long trousers
Fosses
Ditch or moat
Fosses
Ditch or moat
Book of Kells
a manuscript copy of the Four Gospels created in early Christian Ireland
Cathach
example of a manuscript in early Christian Ireland
Abbot
head of a monastery
High Cross
tall stone cross in monasteries in early Christian Ireland
Manuscript
a hand-written book
Motte and bailey
castle built of timber in the Middle Ages, with a mound and a courtyard
Moat
trench filled with water around a medieval castle
Oratory
a church
Refectory
dining room in a monastery in early Christian Ireland or in a medieval monastery
Round Tower
tall tower built in monasteries in early Christian Ireland for safety
Sanctuary
protection given by monasteries to people who were threatened with arrest or violence
Scriptorium
the manuscript room in a monastery in early Christian Ireland or in a medieval monaster
Quill
Writing device made from feather wing
Bailey
courtyard or open space in a motte and bailey or medieval stone castle
Black Death
plague caused by fleas on rats which spread in the Middle Ages
Charter
permission granted by kings or lords to towns to trade
Craftsmen
skilled perosn trained as an apprentice during the Middle Ages, e.g. a carpenter
Drawbridge
bridge over a moat in a medieval castle
Feudalism
system of land ownership and government during the Middle Ages
Guild
a trade association in the Middle Ages for craftsmen and merchants
Hawking
hunting with hawks in the Middle Ages
Jousting
fighting between knights in the Middle Ages
Keep
tower in a medieval castle where the lord of king lived
Knight
specially trained warrior in the Middle Ages
Manor
a village and the land around it in the Middle Ages
Medieval society
life and how it was lived in the Middle Ages
Pillory
a timber frame where people punished in the Middle Ages had to place their hands and head
Portcullis
iron-and-timber grill at the entrance to a castle, for defence
Page
first stage in the training of a knight in the Middle Ages
Serf
a peasant who worked the land for a lord in the Middle Ages
Vassal
person who has been granted land by a lord in the Middle Ages
Fresco
paining style in ancient Rome and in the Renaissance where painting is done on damp plaster
Gothic
style of architecture in the Middle Ages which featured pointed arches and windows
Patron
supporter of the artists during the Renaissance
Perspective
technique used by artists in the Renaissance to create the illusion of depth (3D effect)
Renaissance
time of revival of interest in learning of ancient Greece and Rome, begun in Italy
Romanesque
type of architecture in the Middle Ages which followed the style of Ancient Rome
Sfumato
painting technique associated with Leonardo da Vinci which used blended colours
Clinker-built
overlapping planks of wood used in building caravels in the Age of Exploration
Conquistadores
Spainish conquerors who defeated native empires in Central and South America
Log and Line
used in ships of the Age of Exploration to work out the speed of the ship
Logbook
used in ships of the Age of Exploration to record events during the voyage
Portolan charts
earliest maps used during the Age of Exploration which showed places along the coast joined by straight lines
Quadrant
navigation instrument used in the Age of Exploration to find latitude
Church Abuses
practices such as nepotism,simony, pluralism and absenteeism which were common in the Catholic Church before the Reformation
Council of Trent
meeting of cardinals, bishops and the Pope held in northern Italy aimed at reforming the Catholic Church after the Reformation
Counter Reformation
efforts by the Catholic Church to reform itself and stop the spread of Protestantism
Jesuits
religious order founded by Ignatius Loyola to spread the teachings of the Catholic church
Justification by Faith
Luther's belief that only faith in God would allow a person to go to heaven
Reformation
a movement that protested against abuses in the Catholic Church and led to the establishment of the Protestant churches
Vernacular
the language of the people
Bawn
walled enclosure built for defence in the Plantation of Ulster
Plantation
policy of the English government to bring in English and Scottish planters to Ireland
Servitors
English soldiers and officials who were granted land in the Plantation of Ulster
Undertakers
English planters who received land during the Plantation of Munster, or English and Scottish planters who received land during the Plantation of Ulster
Conacre
land rented out in Ireland for 11 months for growing potatoes of corn
Domestic System
the making of goods (such as thread and cloth) in people's houses before the Industrial Revolution
Enclosure
the division of the three open fields and the common into individual farms during the Agricultural Revolution in England
Subsistence agriculture
is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed themselves and their families
Conacre
letting land in small patches and strips
Maize
type of cereal grain (corn)
Loom
A loom is a device used to weave cloth.
Mill
Manufacturing facility
Coke
Baked Coal
Yarn
long continous length of interlocking fibres
Eviction
when tenant farmers were thrown off the land in 19th century Ireland for failure to pay rent
Coffin Ships
name given to badly maintained ships used to transport emigrants to America during the Great Famine
Appeasement
policy of British government in 1930s which held that if governments in to Hitler's small demands then a world war could be prevented
Astrolabe
navigation instrument used in the Age of Exploration to find latitude
Auxiliaries
ex-British army officers who were enlisted in the Royal Irish Constabulary during the War of Independence
Battle of Britain
air battle between the Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe during World War 1
Black and Tans
ex-British army officers who were enlisted in the Royal Irish Constabulary during the War of Independence
Blackshirts
name given to Mussolini's Fascist followers or to Hitler's SS
Blitzkrieg
lighting war tactics used by Germany in World War II, using planes, tanks and infantry
Blitz
German bombing of British cities after the Battle of Britain during World War II
Bloody Sunday, 1920
a day during the War of Independence in which Michael Collin's Squad killed British spies and, in revenge, the Auxiliaries killed 12 people in Croke Park
Blueshirts
orginally called the Army Comrades Association, which protected Cumann na Ngaedheal meetings from attack by IRA members in the 1930s
Brownshirts
name given to Hitler's Stormtroopers of SA
B-Specials
part-time police in Northern Ireland
Caravel
ship used by Portuguese and Spainish sailors to explore the coasts of Africa and the Americas
Coalition government
government formed by a number of political parties, usualyy applied to Fine Gael-Labour Party government of the 1970s
Cold War
period of hostility between the USA and its allies and the Soviet Union and its allies which lasted from after World War II to the collapse of communism in the early 1990s
Collective security
policy of the League of Nations that each member state was responsible for the security and safety of all other members
Communism
political belief associated with Soviet Russia and holding that the state (or government) should control industry and agriculture
Democracy
political system which holds that political power comes from the people who vote for leaders in a general election
Economic War
conflict in 1930s bewteen Ireland & Britain over land annuities where Britain imposed taxes on Irish imports and Ireland responded with taxes on British imports
Emergency
name given to the period in Ireland during World War II
Enabling Act
law passed by Hitler which gave him power to rule by decree
Fasces
symbol of axe and rods of Mussolini's Fascist Party
Fascism
political belief of Mussolini in Italy and Hitler in Germany which was anti-democratic and anti-communist
Final Solution
policy of Hitler and the Nazis of killing all Jews during World War II
Flying Columns
small units of the IRA which ambushed British forces during the War of Independence
Führer (Leader)
title of Hitler after he combined the office of president and chancellor
Fulacht Fiadh
method of cooking in the Bronze Age using a hole filled with water and lined with flat stones
Gerrymander
system of rigging the boundaries of constituencies in Northern Ireland to ensure Unionist control
Home Rule
Irish nationalist policy which wanted self-government in Ireland with a parliament in Dublin dealing with internal Irish affairs
Humanism
the study of the writings of ancient Greece and Rome
Il Duce (Leader)
title used by Mussolini
Inquisition
Catholic Church court in Italy and Spain used to try Protestants and Jews
Internment
the arrest and imprisonment without trial of people suspected of being involved in violence in Northern Ireland during the Troubles
Lazybeds
long ridges of land ready for growing potatoes
Lebensraum (living space)
Nazi policy to use Eastern Europe and Russia to provide raw materials and workers for the Nazis
Luftwaffe
German air force during World War II
March on Rome
Mussolini's plan to march Fascist groups on Rome to demand members in government , led to him becoming prime minister
Middlemen
a person in the 19th century Ireland who rented land from a landlord and then rented out that land to farmers
Mother and Child Scheme
public health of First Inter-Party government which planned to give free medical aid to mothers and to children under age 16
Neutrality
policy of Irish government during World War II not to take part in the war
Night of the Broken Glass (Kristallnacht)
night when Hitler's SA attacked Jews, their shops and synagogues after a Polish Jew killed a German diplomat in Paris
Night  of the Long Knives
night when Hitler used the SS to arrest and kill leaders of the SA, including Rohm, because they threatened his leadership
Nuremberg Laws
Nazi laws against the Jews, which deprived them of German citizenship, banned marriages with non-Jews and forced them to wear the Star of David
Operation Barbarossa
German battle plan for the invasion of Soviet Russia during World War II
Operation Overlord
code name for Allied plan to invade France during the World War II
Panzer
German tank during World War II
Penal Laws
laws passed in the 17th and 18th century Ireland to control and discriminate against Catholics and Presbyterians
RAF
Royal Air Force (British Air Force)
Rationing
use of coupons and ration books to control the amount of food, clothes, footwear and petrol given to each person during the Emergency (World War II) in Ireland (also in Britain and Germany)
Republicanism
political belief in Ireland which wanted complete independence from Britain and to establish a republic (a government without a monarch), by physical force (rebellion)
Rule by decree
situation in which rulers such as Mussolini and Hitler make laws without the need to ask for them in parliament
Scorched-earth policy
war tactic used by the Soviet soldiers during World War II of buring crops and destroying bridges and towns as they retreated before the Germans
Shannon Scheme
Cumann na nGaedheal government plan in the 1920's to build hydroelectric scheme on the Shannon
Socialism
poltical belief which favours state (government) control od industry and agriculture
Spices
used to give flavour to food, brought from the Spice Islands
Squad
group of IRA volunteers formed by Michael Collins to kill British spies and others during the War of Independence
Statue of Westminster
law passed by Briish government which gave power to Commonwealth countries, including Ireland, to change any laws passed by the British government for the country
Swastika
Nazi symbol taking the form of a crooked cross
U-Boat
German submarine
Ulster Solemn League & Covenant
declaration of Ulster unionists to resist Home Rule by all means,signed by over 200,000 people
Unionism
political belief which held that Ireland's union with Britain must be retained and the Parliament in Westminster should continue to make laws for Ireland
Workhouse
a place where poor people can live if they have no recources; used in the 19th century Ireland (and England)
Collier
Ship designed to carry coal
 

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