Farmer in Ireland discovers ancient tomb 'untouched' for thousands of years

An Irish peasant recently stumbled upon what came out to be an ancient tomb virtually untouched for thousands of years. The accidental discovery was uncovered on Southwest’s Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula when an excavator overturned a large stone, unearthing a chamber hidden underneath. Upon further investigation, a local historian found what he deemed to be human bones and smooth oval-shaped stone. Historians now believe that the recent discovery could shed some light on ancient burial practices.

In addendum to the burial centre, an adjoining sub-chamber was also found containing what is presumed to be human bone fragments. In the aftermath of the discovery, archaeologists from the National Monuments Service and the National Museum of Ireland visited the site and believe the tomb likely dates to the Bronze Age, which ran from 2000 to 500 BC.

'untouched' 

Speaking to RTE, archaeologist Mícheál Ó Coileáin said that it was due to the tomb’s location, orientation and presence of a large slab, they the team deemed it to be from the bronze age. However, he also noted that this particular tome was considerably different from other bronze age burial sites. Fellow archaeologist Breandán Ó Cíobháin told the outlet the tomb appears 'completely untouched,' and its contents remain in their original state.

(Image Credits: An Roinn Tithiochta)

It is not the first time discoveries of bronze age tombs and items have been made. Earlier this month, a Bronze Age stone slab that was unearthed in France in the year 1900 has been rediscovered and researchers have deemed it to be the oldest known 3D map in Europe. Dubbed as Saint-Bélec Slab, it includes the elements of a prehistoric map, such as repeated motifs joined by lines. According to the reports by the Daily Mail, the French scientists discovered that the markings on the map were etched 4,000 years ago. They depict an area in Western Brittany, which is located in France.

Representative Image: NeonBrand/Unsplash