e. people sorting and cleaning away debris, re-using the area, producing and dumping more residues, all this resulting in graded dumps of different sizes and composition, depending on the palimpsest of activities occurring at the spot and on their duration…" however it is related that there is the possibility that these might be representative of "both, practical and the cognitive dimensions?" (Woodman and Anderson, in Marek, 2002) IV. Questions Left Unanswered

Also examined are issues of a broader nature making comparison on an inter-regional basis of the occurrence of farming transitions and it is related that the presence of Mesolithic age remains are noted at Ferriter's Cove however it is noted that it is held that "...coastal and riverine distribution of known Mesolithic settlement does not support the theory of plant-based diet. This is stated to be "very puzzling" since it has been demonstrated over and again that "it was precisely the water-edge habitats including lake shores, river banks and coasts that would support the greatest diversity and density of edible plants." (Woodman and Anderson, in Marek, 2002)

The last section of this work in writing addresses domesticated farm animal and farming being introduced into the society of the Mesolithic communities and discusses two explanations which are mutually exclusive:

(1) Acculturation of Mesolithic communities through the adoption of farming; or (2) Immigration by Neolithic farmers from (probably) Britain (Woodman and Anderson, in Marek, 2002)

It is the last of these two views which Woodman and colleagues adhere to and the evidence seems to indicate that even that answer is too simplistic since Ireland...

Additionally increasing the complexity is adding the fact that Woodman holds that there is not an overlap of the Mesolithic and Neolithic settlement, yet he still allows for up to 500 conventional or calibrated radiocarbon years of coexistence between Mesolithic foragers and Neolithic farmers..." (Woodman and Anderson, in Marek, 2002)
Finally the changes that are found materially between the Mesolithic and Neolithic militate do not support acculturation or in other words the lack of continuity in material culture and the ongoing occupation of locations does not have to and does not need to support the continuity of a specific population of individuals. Woodman and his colleagues hold that there is evidence for contact between Mesolithic and Neolithic due to the "presence of domestic cattle bones at Ferriter's Cove, along with other Mesolithic sites in Ireland with the presence of domesticates.

Summary & Conclusion

It is clear that are questions which remain regarding the precise use of Ferriter's Cove as well as if a cross-over exists between Mesolithic and Neolithic cultures however, the excavations reported have added much to the already existing knowledge in the study of the Mesolithic period of history in Ireland.

Bibliography

Marek, Zvelbil (2002) P.C. Woodman, et al. (eds) Excavations at Ferriter's Cove 1983-1995: Last Foragers, First Farmers in the Dingle Peninsula" Antiquity 1 Jun 2002.