Irish archaeologist discovers Bronze Age fortress over 3,000 years old

CAIRO – 27 June 2022: Archaeologist Michael Gibbons discovered a large Bronze Age fortress on a limestone table surrounded by seasonal lakes in Galway, Ireland.

The site was previously known, but its relics have been called into question, according to Art News.

The land on which the castle is located is now a nature reserve and the seasonal lakes area is unique to the regions of Ireland, west of the Shannon River.

The fortress dates back to between 800 and 1200 BC and is unique in its use of trees, which could dry out and fill with water depending on the weather and time of year.

This fortress could have been used strategically for defense against outside invaders at approximately 1,312 by 328 feet and the building could have accommodated a few hundred people at any one time.

Michael Gibbons with the Gaeltech Education Project conducted a survey of the densely forested area, with further research and analysis from LiDAR data and aerial surveys are under review.

"We know that there were many round houses inside the castle and that they were engaged in metalworking," explains Gibbons, who hopes the data will reveal Bronze Age round houses within the walls.

“Men and women would have made a tremendous effort to build it in antiquity. We are just wrapping around the stone walls of this community with a wealth of information yet to be discovered," said one of the project participants.