4,000-year-old ‘Altar of the Sun’ tomb rediscovered in Ireland

A 4,000-year-old wedge-shaped tomb thought to have been demolished has been rediscovered in Ireland.

This ancient megalithic tomb was first discovered in the 19th century, but was lost for almost 200 years. Local historian Billy Mag Froin stumbled upon the ruins of Ballyfellitter, a village on the tip of the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry.

Mag Frøin spent years exploring the area using various archaeological techniques to see if he could find the remains of tombs that historically were said to have been destroyed.

Lady Georgiana Chatterton, a British aristocrat, discovered the tomb while traveling in 1838 and recorded it with a sketch. However, in 1852, an antiquarian named Richard Hitchcock reported that the tomb had been “broken up and carried away”, possibly used as building material.

For the past 170 years, it was believed that the tomb no longer existed.

Archaeologists from the National Monuments Authority of Ireland have confirmed Mag Floin’s suspicions that they discovered the 4,000-year-old tomb, known as “Artoire na Grene”, which means Altar of the Sun in Irish, in December last year. Admitted.

Only one ancient stone remains in its original position, but it is believed that there are at least three large stones below the surface of the tomb.

Ancient burial tombs were usually used during the Copper Age, after the Stone Age and before the Bronze Age. This means that the remains of the tomb are approximately 4,00 years old.

Remains of wedge-shaped tombs and other ancient monuments have been discovered in the west of Ireland for centuries. The Dingle Peninsula is known for its rich archaeological finds. This land has been inhabited for about 6,000 years, and about 2,000 ancient ruins remain in the area.

Due to the flooded state of the earth, it is unlikely that human remains will remain in the burial tombs. Advances in archeology mean that sites are excavated and preserved.

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