Low tides in Ireland in April revealed the remains of walls once used to defend Bronze Age societies from attack.
The ramparts, discovered by archaeologist Michael Gibbons, are made of huge limestone blocks within the partially submerged isthmus, according to Live Science. The isthmus is the stretch of land between two different parts of the sea and it’s pretty incredible to think that these ancient man-made walls were only just recently brought back to the attention of humanity.
The isthmus is located in County Mayo’s Clew Bay, where the village of Rosscahill is usually flooded by seawater and the small island of Collanmore can be accessed via road during low tides. The ramparts cut about halfway across the one-mile stretch of land.
Low tides reveal Bronze Age fortress that likely defended against Irish mainland https://t.co/kuKR5z3QWB
— Live Science (@LiveScience) April 7, 2024
The remains closest to the mainland are the smallest, at just 590 feet, while the larger wall near Collanmore Island is at least 820 feet long, Gibbons told the outlet.
“They are providing a defensive wall, at a time when sea levels were considerably lower than they are now,” Gibbons explained. He believes the wall was constructed around 1100 B.C. to 900 B.C. as they’re similar to the ramparts uncovered at the Lough Lee fortress around six miles north of the isthmus. (RELATED: Analysis Reveals Aliens Might Be Living In Our Oceans. And They’ve Been There For A Long, Long Time)
“I’ve mapped several of these big hillforts before, and sites on this scale tend to be Late Bronze Age in date,” Gibbons added. “This was probably a coastal version of those.” Gibbons called the discovery a new “frontier” in understanding the ancient landscape and societies of Ireland.
Hopefully, further research will reveal a lot more about our long-lost ancestors and how they survived in their relationship with ever-changing sea levels.