Archaeologists Discover Country's Largest-Ever Prehistoric Settlement

Archaeologists in Eastern Ireland have unearthed the largest prehistoric settlement ever found in the country, Archaeology Mag reported.

Ireland's Largest Settlement

The study, recently published in the journal Antiquity, detailed the discovery of a prehistoric settlement from the Late Bronze Age which contains 600 homes spread within the Brusselstown Ring hillfort in County Wicklow. At this point, it is the largest such settlement from that period to ever be discovered in Ireland and Britain. Many contemporary settlements consisted of far-spread farm lands which were not continuously populated.

Brusselstown Ring contains 13 hilltop enclosures which scientists say indicates a continuous stream of activity in the region from the Early Neolithic age through the end of the Bronze Age. It’s much larger than other settlements from the same period, encompassing not only the main settlement, known as a hillfort, but also a nearby Neolithic enclosure located in an area known as Spinas Hill 1. In Ireland and Britain, it’s extremely rare to find settlements which extend beyond a single hill; these settlements were much more common in Europe, but only during the Late Iron Age.

Topographical Surveys Located Housing Platforms

Archaeologists first identified the settlement through airborne and topographical surveys of the site, which revealed an abundance of more than 500 platforms, which were later determined to be the foundations of the community's houses. Due to the incredibly dense concentration of the homes, researchers believe that the settlement was a tightly organized community which remained permanently occupied after its incorporation. 

During the ensuing four excavations, archaeologists unearthed hundreds of housing platforms of varying sizes. Radiocarbon dating and other evidence found on site indicates that the settlement was occupied between approximately 1200 B.C. and 400 B.C. One of the most remarkable finds at the site was that different house sizes were employed indiscriminately, and the artifacts found bore little or no evidence of a difference in wealth or status. This indicates that the community was “relatively egalitarian despite the large population.”

Researchers Located Possible Water Cistern

Also found at the site was a structure lined with stones that appears to have been a water source. Researchers note the structure’s flat interior makes it unlikely to have been used as a traditional roundhouse, or maintenance shed. However, that construction could have allowed the structure to be used as a water cistern, a feature common during that time in many parts of Europe. If it was indeed used as a water cistern, its construction would indicate a remarkably advanced effort to tailor the community for its advanced population.

Archaeologists plan to carry out further excavations at the site in an effort to confirm whether or not the stone structure was a cistern. Researchers also want to more accurately map the timeline of the community’s construction with the hope of discovering why the largest prehistoric settlement in Ireland and Britain fell into disuse.