Crannog

Crannog : (Irish Gaelic – crannóg, wooden structure, pole, from Middle Irish; crannóc, from Old Irish; from crann = tree) Prehistoric habitation built over the shallow waters of a lake shore or a marsh, usually erected on pile-supported platforms, but sometimes on artificial mounds. Crannogs were used for a settlement and usually linked to shore with a timber gangway or stone causeway. Such a site afforded easy access to a varied food supply by the availability of fish, marsh fowl, and good crop lands. Remains of Bronze Age lake dwellings were discovered in Britain, Ireland, and central Europe.