Why Were Crannogs Built on Lakes?

One theory goes that Ireland was densely wooded in the ancient past when these artificial islands started to be built, which might be one of the reasons people moved out onto the lakes because apart from upland areas, it was practically the only place from where you could see the sky.

Why were crannogs built in the middle of a lake?

Crannogs are a type of ancient loch-dwelling found throughout Scotland and Ireland. Most seem to have been built as individual homes to accommodate extended families. ... Here in Highland Perthshire the prehistoric crannogs were originally timber-built roundhouses supported on piles or stilts driven into the loch bed.

What was the purpose of crannogs?

Crannogs were probably the centres of prosperous Iron Age farms, where people lived in an easily-defended location to protect themselves and their livestock from passing raiders. The settlement would have consisted of a farm house, with cattle and crops being tended in nearby fields, and sheep on hill pastures.