Could you imagine accidentally finding an ancient tomb? This happened to a farmer on Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula, who discovered a stone-lined passageway underneath a rock.
After spotting a big rock and turning it over, the Irish farmer stumbled onto the ancient structure. Once he realized what he had uncovered, professionals were contacted to examine the chamber. The analysis of archaeologists from the National Monuments Service and the National Museum of Ireland determined it was probably constructed between 2000 B.C. and 500 B.C.
“Dolmans”, also called stone tombs, are scattered around the peninsula so their discoveries are not uncommon. However, this one looked different. The tomb passed underground and was in excellent condition. Lined with standing stones, the tomb comprises a long central chamber and an adjacent alcove. Inside, an oval-shaped stone and human remains were found.
Mícheál Ó Coileáin, a Dingle-based archaeologist, said that it was a “highly unusual tomb”. He added that “It is very well built and a lot of effort has gone into putting the large capstone over it.” Coileáin also mentioned that the farmer could only remove the rock thanks to the use of a digger.
As professionals study the tomb and its secrets, different theories are arising. Some state that the chambered grave belonged to the Bronze Age, others that it could be an underground mausoleum of Ireland’s early Christian period, but scholars are still unsure.
Bibliography:
Corbley, A. (2021, April 26th) Irish Farmer Stumbles Onto ‘Untouched’ Ancient Underground Tomb of Stone Near Dingle. Good news network.
Davis-Marks, I. (2021, April 21st) Irish Farmer Stumbles Onto ‘Untouched’ Ancient Tomb. Smithsonian magazine.