Islandscapes and 'islandness': The prehistoric Isle of Man in the Irish seascape

This paper will explore the role of the Isle of Man in the prehistory of the Irish Sea area through an examination of its changing islandscape from the Neolithic through the Iron Age. It was far from insular during prehistory, but the social and economic interactions of prehistoric Manx people around the Irish Sea and beyond were heavily affected by their water-bound environment. The way that the prehistoric Manx perceived their boundaries and their coastal situation is reflected in their ritual and social landscape, their preferential use of coastal areas for monumental architecture, and in the choices they made with regard to the island landscape they inhabited. This culturally constructed sense of islandness allowed the prehistoric Manx people to maintain distinctive local cultures while still playing an active role in the larger Irish Sea region.