Archaeological excavations on the south-eastern edge of the Burren, Co Clare, have revealed one of the most extensive and well-preserved prehistoric landscapes in Europe.
At the Roughan Hill site archaeologists have uncovered a megalithic tomb over 5,500 years old. It is in a preserved prehistoric landscape set among contemporary neolithic/early Bronze Age farmsteads, settlements and field walls.
According to Dr Carlton Jones, an archaeologist, the excavation of the system, which includes five settlements, could be hugely important in revealing the prehistoric rural lifestyle of Ireland's first farmers.
Dr Jones, who has co-ordinated the excavation through Burren Archaeology Research, said the excavation was very significant in a European context to uncover a whole visible, preserved prehistoric landscape.
He said the prehistoric site at Roughan Hill formed part of a thriving farming community in prehistoric times which stretched from the south-eastern edge of the Burren to Doolin, north Clare.
Dr Jones said Ireland's earliest farmers chose the south-eastern Burren because of the light, well-drained soil and the gentle typography. The site contained the densest concentration of neolithic wedge tombs in the country, which date from 2400 BC to 2000 BC. The oldest monument on the hill was a court tomb dating from 3,500 BC.
The archaeological value of the site is increased by the almost unique environmental conditions of the Burren which have allowed the preservation of the archaeological features, such as the megalithic tombs and the 4,400-year-old field walls which remain visible on the surface.
To date, two of the three chambers in the court tomb, which measures 15 metres in diameter, have been excavated. The third chamber is to be opened up next year.
"We are fortunate that the limestone has preserves the bones so well, so we will get a fantastic and complete collection of what is there," said Dr Jones.
Within the excavated chambers, human bones have been discovered mixed with bones of animals. "These are the very first farmers in Ireland and so their identity is wrapped up in being farmers, so the occurrence of human bone and animal bone together in the tomb is more representative of what is important to them in life."
He added that within the tomb piles of bones could be found, though they were not full skeletons. "The bodies seem to have been left elsewhere until they turned to bones and the selected bones are then taken to the tomb where they are placed in patterns."
Dr Jones began surveying and excavating the Burren in 1994. To date, 370 acres have been surveyed.
The excavation is funded partly through US students and professionals working at the site as part of a summer activity holiday organised by Dr Jones. He estimates that excavation on the tomb will take another two years, while there are plans to extend the excavation.
