Evidence Of ‘Rare’ Mass Gatherings: Irish Pagans

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Archaeology shock: Evidence of ‘rare’ mass gatherings of ancient Irish Pagans discovered

Source: express.co.uk
Date: 28 December, 2019

SCIENTISTS have discovered evidence that reveals how ancient Irish pagans travelled from around the country to gather at the legendary spot of Navan Fort for mass feasts.

Naval Fort is one of Ireland’s most famous, legendary and important archaeological sites and is located in the Northern Irish county of Armagh near the border. New research has revealed that during the Iron Age, people from all over Ireland flocked to the site to participate in huge feasts, often travelling vast distances and bringing their livestock with them.

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Archaeology shock: Evidence of ‘rare’ mass gatherings of ancient Irish Pagans discovered

Source: express.co.uk
Date: 28 December, 2019

SCIENTISTS have discovered evidence that reveals how ancient Irish pagans travelled from around the country to gather at the legendary spot of Navan Fort for mass feasts.

Naval Fort is one of Ireland’s most famous, legendary and important archaeological sites and is located in the Northern Irish county of Armagh near the border. New research has revealed that during the Iron Age, people from all over Ireland flocked to the site to participate in huge feasts, often travelling vast distances and bringing their livestock with them.

https://www-express-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1221657/archaeology-news-irish-history-pagan-religion-ancient-history-UK-news/amp?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQCKAE=#referrer=https://www.google.com&amp_tf=From %1$s&ampshare=https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1221657/archaeology-news-irish-history-pagan-religion-ancient-history-UK-news

More findings at Emain Macha.

Perched on a hill outside Armagh city is Emain Macha - or Navan Fort.

For centuries this place was home to the kings and queens of Ulster. In recent years archaeologists have been trying to piece together just what the complex would have looked like and how far back in history the site was in use. They believe they have now found physical evidence that the site could have been in use as early as the 4th Century BC.

Progress took a major step forward in 2020 when magnetic gradiometry and electrical resistance surveys were conducted at the site. This provided indications of huge Iron Age temples and other religious complexes.

This month researchers from Queen's University, Belfast returned to Navan Fort to take part in a dig, which they believe has uncovered evidence supporting this.

This year's dig has seen four fresh trenches opened on the hilltop site.

"What we are discovering here is that some of the early phases here are really very special," said archaeologist Dr Patrick Gleeson.

"They are unique probably in terms of the complexity of some of these monuments on this island - there's maybe only one or two other parallels that we know of. Particularly because they are Iron Age in date, it is incredibly rare to find monumental structures of the Iron Age."

The Iron Age covers the period from about 800 BC to the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD.

Image caption, Dr Patrick Gleeson is part of the research team which is trying to interpret the history of the ancient site

The findings from the dig will have to be taken away and scrutinised, but Dr Gleeson told BBC News NI he believed they are significant.

"At the moment it looks like what we have is an entirely new early to mid-Iron Age monumental horizon to the complex," he said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-66514152