Summary
Researchers in Ireland discovered a large ancient settlement that might change the idea that Vikings built the first towns in Ireland. The site, called Brusselstown Ring, includes over 600 house structures and dates back to around 1200 BC, much earlier than the Viking era.
Key Facts
- Researchers found over 600 suspected house platforms at Brusselstown Ring in Ireland.
- The settlement dates back to about 1200 BC, during the Late Bronze Age.
- This discovery challenges the belief that Vikings were the first to build towns in Ireland.
- The site is located in the Baltinglass Hillfort Cluster in the Wicklow Mountains.
- Excavations were carried out by a team in August and September 2024.
- The findings suggest a large settlement existed 2000 years before the Vikings arrived.
- The research was published in Antiquity, a journal on world archaeology.
- The site also features a unique stone-lined chamber described as "boat-shaped."
