• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

Irish Archaeological Finds & Theories

Mixed era findings here but the standout is the Neolithic house

Archaeologists in Cork have uncovered the foundations of a 5,700-year-old Neolithic house in addition to evidence of Iron Age smelting and Bronze Age burial sites.

The archaeologists excavated a total of eight sites as part of two road realignment projects on the N73 road which links Mallow and Mitchelstown in Co. Cork.

The excavations were carried out near the villages of Shanballymore and Kildorrery and archaeologists discovered foundations of a house dating back to 3700BC at one of the sites. They believe that the house belonged to some of the first farmers to inhabit the area.

The excavations at the Neolithic house also uncovered grain, pottery, and stone tools dating back to the same period and the archaeologists believe that the people who inhabited the house would have been pioneers for Irish farming.

https://www.irishcentral.com/news/archaeologists-neolithic-house-in-cork
 
Interesting two part documentary on The Burren. Part 2: The Burren: Heart of Stone is on tonight at 6.30pm on RTÉ One
Episode 1 is at https://www.rte.ie/player/series/the-burren-heart-of-stone/SI0000008368?epguid=IP000064776

Ancient hunters living in Ireland had black skin and blue eyes, according to a documentary about the Burren.

The lives of people living in prehistoric times in the region are portrayed by actors and described by academics in the second episode of the RTÉ programme, which reveals striking new discoveries about Ireland’s earliest inhabitants.

Dr Lara Cassidy, an expert on ancient DNA and genetics at Trinity College Dublin, said bone fragments found in megalithic tombs in the Burren in Co Clare showed a direct link between two distinct groups — hunter gatherers and the farmers who built the large megalithic structures.

The Burren: Heart of Stone contains a dramatic revelation that upends existing assumptions that the first humans came to Ireland around 12,500 years ago. It reveals bones of reindeers showed evidence the animals were butchered by humans in Ireland 33,000 years ago.

The first inhabitants of Ireland survived by hunting, fishing and gathering edible plants while bears and wolves roamed primeval forests.

A large influx of distinctly different people with sallow skin and dark-coloured eyes happened 6,000 years ago and these new arrivals began farming and building stone walls and large megalithic stone structures.

Dr Cassidy said the bone fragments of an entombed member of the newer farmer population showed one of the farmer’s recent ancestors, potentially a great grandparent, was a member of the earlier hunter-gatherer population. DNA examination of bones showed the Irish hunter-gatherer people had dark or black skin but blue eyes and were taller than the sallow-skinned farmers and builders who replaced them.

She said the last major movement of people into Ireland took place around 4,500 years ago. These people generally became the dominant population, with their arrival heralding the Bronze Age.

“We are seeing a very strong genetic continuity from the early bronze age population to the modern Irish population. However, gene pools continued to evolve,” Dr Cassidy said. ...

https://www.independent.ie/irish-ne...0-years-ago-reindeer-bones-show-40326319.html
 
Bronze Age Tomb, might even be earlier.

An ancient tomb, described by archaeologists as "untouched" and "highly unusual" has been discovered on the Dingle Peninsula in Co Kerry.

The tomb was uncovered in recent days during land improvement works being carried out by a farmer. The National Monument Service has requested that the location of the structure should not be disclosed in order to prevent the possibility of disturbance.

The tomb was uncovered by a digger during land reclamation work when a large stone slab was upturned, revealing a slab-lined chamber beneath. On closer inspection an adjoining sub-chamber was found at what appears to be the front of the tomb. The tomb contained an unusual smooth oval-shaped stone and what is believed to be human bone.

00169688-614.jpg


It is believed the tomb may date to the Bronze Age (2000BC-500BC), but it could be even earlier as it displays a number of highly unusual features. ...

https://www.rte.ie/news/2021/0416/1210287-tombs-kerry-dingle-peninsula/
 
oooooh! very nice. And good call by the National Monument Service. And thank you to the un-named farmer!

I can't see a size for the stone artifact?
 
An Irishman looking for a well-known dolphin visitor found a log boat instead.
Man Looking for Kevin the Dolphin Accidentally Finds Centuries-Old Logboat

Hoping to find a local dolphin named Kevin, a citizen archaeologist ended up finding a medieval logboat sunk in the shallow water of an Irish river. The man, Anthony Murphy, found the vessel while flying his drone over the River Boyne. “I was actually looking for Kevin the dolphin that has been in the river in the past couple of weeks,” he told The Irish Times. Not a bad consolation prize.

It’s not Murphy’s first archaeological rodeo. In 2018, during a historic drought in Britain that exposed a number of historical sites, Murphy flew a drone near the famous Neolithic site of Newgrange and found a new henge. “What the f*** is that?” he said at the time. ...
Click to expand...
FULL STORY: https://gizmodo.com/man-looking-for-kevin-the-dolphin-accidentally-finds-ce-1846798255
 
Best barn is found towards the end of the dig.

Archaeologists have described the first medieval Cistercian stone barn to be excavated in Ireland as a “phenomenal” discovery.

The foundations of the 13th century barn, measuring 25m by 8m, were uncovered during the third and final season of a three-year excavation at the site of a Cistercian community in Beamore, Co Meath.

The barn, which contains evidence of a kiln used to dry corn and a threshing floor, was hailed as an exciting find by husband and wife archaeologist team Matthew and Geraldine Stout.

“Each July for the last three years, we have been excavating this site which was given by the DeLacys to the Cistercians in France who sent a community here to establish a grange in Beaubec which is near Drogheda,” said Ms Stout. “I only know of three examples of Cistercian stone barns in Ireland but this is the first that has been excavated so we are very excited about it... It’s an exceptional find." ...

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/env...menal-13th-century-barn-in-co-meath-1.4630248
 
ramonmercado said:
My Great-Uncle, Joe Murphy/Brother Lochteen became a Cistercian after dealing with some other pressing matters. That's him (monk) in the middle.
Click to expand...

I'll include him in the Rosary tonight, unless you have objections?
 
Frideswide said:
I'll include him in the Rosary tonight, unless you have objections?
Click to expand...

You might also include a comrade of Joe, a Scot who fell at Crossbarry.

Peter Monahan (not his real name), a Scotsman of Irish parentage, was also fatally wounded. Monahan (his mother was from Mallow) was a deserter from the Cameron Highlanders stationed at Cobh in East Cork. He was a Sergeant in the Royal Engineers attached to the Camerons. The mine at E section failed to detonate and while checking it out was shot. He is buried in the Republican Plot at St. Patrick’s cemetery in Bandon.
 
It's a big one.

Irish archaeologists have unearthed a 1,600-year-old wooden pagan idol from a bog in Co Roscommon.

The artefact was retrieved from a bog in Gotnacrannagh, around six kilometres from the prehistoric royal site of Rathcroghan.

The idol was made during the Iron Age from a split trunk of an oak tree, with a small human-shaped head at one end and several horizontal notches carved along its body. Only a dozen such idols have been found in Ireland and at more than two and a half metres, the Gornacrannagh Idol is the largest to date.

The wooden carving was discovered by a team from the Archaeological Management Solutions (AMS), working in advance of the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge Road Project.

Dr Eve Campbell, director of the AMS excavation site said the idol was carved just over 100 years before St Patrick came to Ireland.
"It is likely to be the image of a pagan deity," Dr Campbell said.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40358522.html
 
ramonmercado said:
It's a big one.

Irish archaeologists have unearthed a 1,600-year-old wooden pagan idol from a bog in Co Roscommon.

The artefact was retrieved from a bog in Gotnacrannagh, around six kilometres from the prehistoric royal site of Rathcroghan.

The idol was made during the Iron Age from a split trunk of an oak tree, with a small human-shaped head at one end and several horizontal notches carved along its body. Only a dozen such idols have been found in Ireland and at more than two and a half metres, the Gornacrannagh Idol is the largest to date.

The wooden carving was discovered by a team from the Archaeological Management Solutions (AMS), working in advance of the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge Road Project.

Dr Eve Campbell, director of the AMS excavation site said the idol was carved just over 100 years before St Patrick came to Ireland.
"It is likely to be the image of a pagan deity," Dr Campbell said.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40358522.html
Click to expand...
When I saw the headline, I so wanted it to look like Cthulhu.
 
It's a rare occurrence to dig up a complete chain mail coat.

An 800-year-old vest of chain mail, known as a hauberk, has been discovered in Co Longford.

The historical artefact was discovered at an unknown location in the county.

It is currently being held by local tourist attraction, Granard Knights & Conquests, before it goes to the National Museum of Ireland.

It lay in a shed until this week when the person who found it attended a Norman People event at Granard Knights & Conquests as part of National Heritage Week.

After seeing a replica of chain mail at the event last weekend, a member of the public came forward stating they had discovered something similar.


https://www.rte.ie/news/2021/0820/1241969-artefact-longford-museum/
 
Simply amazing that it has survived in the ground so long. Must be more iron than steel, as iron seems to withstand the elements better.
 
ramonmercado said:
It's a rare occurrence to dig up a complete chain mail coat.

An 800-year-old vest of chain mail, known as a hauberk, has been discovered in Co Longford.

The historical artefact was discovered at an unknown location in the county.

It is currently being held by local tourist attraction, Granard Knights & Conquests, before it goes to the National Museum of Ireland.

It lay in a shed until this week when the person who found it attended a Norman People event at Granard Knights & Conquests as part of National Heritage Week.

After seeing a replica of chain mail at the event last weekend, a member of the public came forward stating they had discovered something similar.


https://www.rte.ie/news/2021/0820/1241969-artefact-longford-museum/
Click to expand...
I know of a lot of folk who'd be biting their tongues, or just be openly and vocally disgruntled, by that article's constant use of the words 'chain mail' instead of just 'mail'. It's a lovely find, though.
 
I have been talking to people who know a bit more about mail and they say this story isn't possible. The mail is more like the stuff that's made for a reenactor - even to the style of the hoops of the metal and other stuff I don't really understand and the condition of the mail is just too good. Also it is very small which is apparently common in mail created in China. Gah!
 
staticgirl said:
I have been talking to people who know a bit more about mail and they say this story isn't possible. The mail is more like the stuff that's made for a reenactor - even to the style of the hoops of the metal and other stuff I don't really understand and the condition of the mail is just too good. Also it is very small which is apparently common in mail created in China. Gah!
Click to expand...

Well it was examined by NMI staff who declared it to be an artefact. It will undergo tests and examination at the National Museum of Ireland-Archaeology.
https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/Museums/Archaeology
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top