DROUGHT REVEALS PRE-HISTORICAL STONE HENGES OLDER THAN PYRAMIDS IN IRELAND THAT HAVE A HIDDEN PURPOSE
There is a lot that we don’t know about the past. The scientists from all around the world discover newer and newer information about the history of the world that makes them scratch their head even today. We have no idea about how the ancient people used to live. Or how did they pave the way for the future generation to become the better version from the ancient human? From discovering fire to inventing the wheel, we humans have come a long way. So long that the sky doesn’t look like a far fetched dream because we have even made that the reality. We have reached the moon, Mars, and planning to go even further to see what lies next for us. But, in search of the glimpse of the future, there are times when the past comes out in our present in order to tell us that we shouldn’t forget the fact that it existed. What we are now is because our past existed and no one can deny that fact. This story here was a reminder to all that whatever happens, we should never forget where we came for. One fine day, this discovery just happened out of the blue that changed things about the past we knew. What was the discovery? You’ll find out soon…
The Beginning…
The Neolithic period or the Stone Age was the period when the ancient human started making tools from the stones which made their lives a little easier. Just like us when the invention of steam engines, the bulb, and several other inventions made then changed our way of living, the same way, the ancient people discovered techniques that helped them in paving the way for us. If those inventions wouldn’t have been made then we don’t think the human mind would have ever been able to find ways to ease their lives. But this discovery wasn’t about any past inventions but something far more greater than that.
Clever Beings
All those techniques invented by ancient humans have proved that they were clever people. During the Neolithic period, humans paid more attention to farming and especially producing healthy food supply. And this discovery proves that the ancient people were really smart when it comes to doing things. You don’t believe us then just wait until you see the discovery which was made that changed the misconception about the ancient humans of being not so smart.
The Drought In Ireland
Ireland is located in the extreme west of Europe. Surprisingly, Ireland was never conquered by the Romans. But that’s a good thing. The city didn’t attract the Romans otherwise just like other cities where the Romans destroyed several ancient sites, Ireland would have also met the same fate. Today, Ireland is considered as the richest island which has many famous archeological sites in one place.
Rich In Sites
Archeologists from all around the globe visit Ireland to study more about the Neolithic, Celtic, and Early Christian period that has archeological sites, such as Hill, The Burren, Newgrange, Glendalough, Skellig Michael, Clonmacnoise, Carrowmore, Drombeg Stone Circle, Ardmore Cathedral and Round Tower, and Innisfallen. Though archeologists know that the island is filled with some great sites, what was discovered that day was something they haven’t imagined.
The Drought
The Emerald Isle has been experiencing the worst drought in Ireland with some of the areas getting the least amount of rain after 160 years of good rainfall. According to scientists, climate change would hit Ireland in the worst way possible. So, does it mean that we are going to lose all these amazing archeological sites? But the question was why was this discovery made recently? What was the reason behind it? Was it telling us something? Was there any hidden meaning behind its revelation? So many questions, but the answer was one, this discovery.
One Good Thing About Change
Mother nature has its way to warn us. She keeps on reminding us humans that we should not take it for granted. In past years, there has been a sudden spike in the occurrences of a natural disaster. And drought is one of them. The Emerald Isle has been going through a long dry spell. But the good thing was that it was because of the dry land we were able to spot what was hiding for centuries in a piece of land.
Massive Drought
Back in 2018, Ireland was going through a harsh drought. Farmers were the most affected by the drought as it became really hard for them to farm anything on the land that had no waters on the ground level. On one hand, the farmers were struggling to grow any crops on their land but on the second hand, the team which was assigned by the authorities to solve the crisis of drought spotted something in the piece of farming that shook them to the core.
Lucky Sight
If there would have been some crops on that land, it would have been almost impossible to spot it. But the team which was flying a drone over the land to captures some pictures saw something strange. So strange that something like that hasn’t been seen anywhere in the whole world. But the team was no expert in such cases so they made some calls and notified the authorities about the situation. But there was one problem.
Only From Above
The problem with the discovery was that it was only visible from above. If you try to see it from the ground then there is a 99 percent chance that you would miss it for sure. Just imagine that this thing was there for thousands of years but nobody ever saw it until the team saw it from above. What kind of technique did the ancient people use that hid the discovery in plain sight? But it was time for the discovery to be out in front of the people.
Notify The Authorities
The archeologists were notified about the possible archeological site that was holding something the world has never seen. Not just the world, even the members of the archeological team were stunned to see something this amazing hiding in a piece of land. But what it was actually?
Two Separate Teams
There were two teams working in order to complete two different tasks on the same piece of land where that unusual thing was found. One team was assigned to solve the problem of drought in the area which could help the farmers and the other team was assigned to check the land and find out what it was actually.
The Photographer
Anthony Murphy was the first photographer who spotted the evidence of the prehistoric site. He runs a website Mythical Ireland. It was Murphy who spotted that unusual thing on the land that shocked him to the core. He has been taking drone photographs in various archeological sites but this time it was different for him. He hasn’t seen anything like this in his entire life.
Lots Of Money
The farmers had to invest lots of money for the irrigation water supply for their land, but still, something good came out of the drought that was making their life miserable every day. Their crops were dying on which they have already spent so much money and now they had to make install an external irrigation system in order to keep their crops alive. For farmers crops are everything. Their whole family depended on it.
The Farmers Problem
Even though the farmers knew that the team was working to decrease the effects of drought somehow, they weren’t happy about it. Now, when they have spotted an important thing on few of the lands the farmers knew that they won’t be able to grow crops on their own land. Which became a problem in the investigation. The archeological team that was working hard to find the answers around the discovery also faced problem from the farmers. Archeologists wanted to explore the land and the farmers wanted to grow the crops. There was a big question of prioritizing what was important between the archeologists’ excavation and farming.
The Dilemma
The team wanted to explore the land and the farmers wanted to work on their crops as they were still losing them. There has to be a kind of solution to the problem. Indeed there was. The team asked the farmers to give them a weeks time to fully explore the land. After that they won’t stay on the land the farmers would be able to continue with their farming. The team also said that they would make sure that no harm is done to the land and the crops. The farmers could see the seriousness of the issue. They could see how important the discovery was to the team. So, the farmers agreed to the conditions.
The Investigation
The team had a week to fully explore the land. In a real sense, a week time isn’t enough. But rather than complaining about the situation the team started the work. They started collecting the evidence from the site which they didn’t send to the lab, instead they brought the whole lab near them. The lab was filled with collected specimens and more and more kept coming. Everybody was working day and night. They wanted to know what it was.
The Drone Helped
As we have already told you that without a sky view, the discovery wasn’t visible. So, the team sent the drone above the site which was sending them the live feed of the site. One team was spotting the location and the other team was checking the spot the first team told them to check. They collected samples from that location and then moved to another location to collect more samples which they kept sending to the lab for the tests. They wanted to know how old the discovery was. Which would then tell them about the period it belonged to.
The Tests
Even though they had a mini lab with them, the process is a process. Just because the lab is near them it doesn’t make the results come out anytime soon. So, rather than waiting for the results they focused on exploring the site. Remember they only had a week time. The team collected more and more evidence before the time ran out. So, they wanted to collect as many evidence as they could.
The Results
The results were shocking! They couldn’t believe what they were seeing. A sudden feeling of excitement ran inside every member of the team. They knew that they have just found the most amazing thing which hasn’t been discovered before anywhere in the whole world. Their hard work had paid off. So, what did the results say? And what it was?
Prehistorical Henge
So, it was an ancient henge. It has been hiding right under the feet of the farmers who have been farming on the land, but no one ever spotted it. It was not their fault as it was almost impossible to find it is seen from the ground. With the help of the drones, they were able to spot. So, what’s a henge? And what was so important about it? Keep reading to know some interesting things about this mysterious henge.
Ancient Henge
The place where these henges have been found is called Brú na Bóinne. It is also a UNESCO Heritage protected site which has multiple henges scattered all over the place. But the historians never knew that there was another henge hiding in the place. How could they miss the most important one? However, they found it.
Brú na Bóinne
Brú na Bóinne is located in Ireland. The archeologists consider this place as one of the most important archeological sites. Still, many historians are studying the site every single day. But the past excavation wasn’t complete, though they thought it was. The 2019 drought brought out the hidden henge from the past that changed the course of the history.
Not Looking Good
The farmers who thought that no harm would be done to their already dying crops were angry about the investigation. Though it was they who gave the historians permission to explore the land what was left with the crops wasn’t something to happy about. They were upset.
Upset Farmers
The farmers were already unhappy with the drought situation and now their crops were looking strange which made them more frustrated about everything. But in reality, it wasn’t archeologists fault that their crops were weird but the drought that brought out the hidden henge to the surface which ruined the crops even further. It was then the historians wanted to check the land and see what was going on.
Older Than Pyramids
The test results from the lab told the historians that the hidden henge was older than the pyramids. With the help of drones, they were able to spot the henge. Who could have thought there is an ancient henge older than the famous pyramids. The discovery gave the scientists new hope and information about the past that made them realize how little they know about it.
From The Photographer
Anthony Murphy and his friend Ken Williams who was also flying his drone in the area saw Murphy calling out his name in excitement. Williams ran towards him and both of them were shocked to see the henge. “We knew fairly quickly that what we were seeing was something very special. And huge,” wrote Murphy in his blog.
The Confirmation
Murphy then sent the images to the local archeologists who told him that images are for sure of the unknown ancient henge. Did you know how old this henge was? It was 4,500-years-old. After getting the confirmation from the historians Murphy was really proud of the discovery he was able to make.
Historian Speaks
“This is internationally significant and we now need to figure out what it means, it has some characteristics that we’ve never seen before. For example, the very odd double ditch sections that make up its circumference,” told archaeologist Steve Davis of University College Dublin to Barra Best at the BBC.
Reason Behind Their Appearance
The question was why these ancient structures came out during times of drought? And why not before when there were so many other henges already present in the area. So, what are henges? The henges are created when large posts are placed on the ground in concentric circles. So, after they were no use they were burned down and the underground portions were left to rot. With time, the unused buried portion would then change the composition of the soil which would retain more moisture. It was a good thing, you see.
Good From The Henge
During the time of drought, the surrounding crops yellow and the plants which grew over the post holes have a slight advantage. “The weather is 95 percent responsible for this find. The flying of the drone, knowledge of the area, and fluke make up the rest in this discovery,” Anthony Murphy told Barra Best at the BBC.
What Next?
As we have already told you that the discovered henge was on the private property and Ireland’s National Monuments Service wasn’t in a hurry as they already know now what it was. They will excavate the site but they won’t rush. After the owner’s permission, the team would again start the excavation in the near future but until then the team would research more about the site with already evidences they gathered during the course of the last investigation.
But Why Delay?
There’s a mythical story among the people of Ireland and especially around the area where the new henge was found. According to the legend, once upon a time, a massive drought was believed to have struck the area, the area which was located underwater in a “magical sea” called the Muirthemne. The legend was so popular in the area that even the researchers didn’t want to play with it. As the drought was already there in the area.
On Social Media
After the discovery, Murphy shared the images of the henge on Facebook where he also wrote the story of the magical sea and the monster who lived there. He wrote, “There was a huge sea turtle or monster in the sea” called the Mata, which lived in the water, until, “[t]he Dagda (sun god) came along and made the water recede, and the monster receded with the water…..”
Special Monuments
This was the first time that a special monument like this was uncovered because of a drought. And because of that reason, the historians received good funding for the whole project. The first time they saw the photos that were taken by the drones the team was left speechless. There was something strange about the discovered henge.
Something Strange
Though there are lots of other ancient structures in the Brú na Bóinne, from the first picture the team could tell that this henge was different. There was a vast difference between the last henges that were found here in Brú na Bóinne. So, what was so different about this henge?
Oldest Henge
After further investigation, the team was sure that the henge they have found was a Stone Age henge. It was the oldest henge ever been found on the Brú na Bóinne. For historians, this discovery was really important as it would tell them more about the Stone Age.
Classifications
Henges are basically classified into three classes. Class I henges have a single entrance. Class II henges have two entrances which are placed opposite to each other and Class III henges have four entrances that face each other in pairs. But this newfound henge was different. And that was the reason it caught historians’ attention.
Interesting Placement
The historians couldn’t ignore the way the henge was placed. It was placed in such a way that there was no way someone from the ground would ever spot it and the only way to see it was from the sky. Fortunately, we have drones today that comes handy during such times. The drones are able to spot thing which we humans aren’t able to.
Odd Ditch Sections
Can you see those gaps between the ditches and how they are placed? You can see how accurately the ditches were placed separated to each other. But the most interesting part about the henge was instead of one large ditch, this newly discovered ancient henge had odd double ditch sections.
Odd Positioning
But what was the reason behind the odd double ditch sections? The historians wanted to know the reason behind their odd placement. All the other henges that have been found on Earth are still a mystery to the historians as they haven’t been able to find the answer behind their purpose. But the historians knew about the purpose of the henge which was found because of the drought.
Farming Field
After studying the ditches and the structure of the henge the scientists were sure that this particular ancient henge wasn’t used for the protection but for the farming during the Stone Age. The ditches were used to irrigate the fields. These ditches soaked the moisture which helped the crops during the drought season. It was a method which gave the crop the required moisture to grow.
Dry Weather Conditions
Who would have thought the dry conditions in which the farmers were struggling would help the historians to help the farmers. The farmers could use the same technique which was used by the ancient people in the past for their crops when they experienced drought in their times. Though the drought wouldn’t have been on the same scale which people experience today, still, this would help them in some ways.
Clever Construction
The structure was able to give more insight about the ancient people. The henge showed the Stone Age people in a new light. They were survivors and clever people who knew how to survive in the harshest situations. The way the henge was created showed that they were built to last and so that the future generations could also use the same technique.
Oldest Henge Ever
The tests which were sent to the lab told the historians that the henge was the older than the pyramids and all other henges ever found in Brú na Bóinne. This particular henge was a thousand years older than the other henges found in the area. It was a great discovery that brought us closer to the ancient people and the way they lived.
Farming Land
Isn’t it amazing to know that people from the Stone Age were really clever? They not only invented ways to create tools from the stones but also knew how to create a technique that could mass-produce the food. The technique showed the people were really master farmers that knew how to make most of their surrounding.
Amazing Discovery
Now that this henge been discovered we are sure that historians would study more about it so that they can study the structure and the ancient technique from closer. Maybe they would be able to solve the present situation of drought which is still active in the areas of Ireland which could, in turn, help the farmers so that their crops don’t die.
Food Supply
The ancient people believed in having a steady food supply. The henge served two purposes for them. One, it was used for farming, and second, they also kept animals such as sheep, pigs, and chicken which were kept inside the henge.
More Insight In Future
According to scientists, this new henge would be a deal-breaker. It showed itself during times of drought. To the farmers, it has acted as a reminder that they should look for alternatives for the irrigation system. We all are experiencing climate change in the worst ways. So, to make sure that farmers don’t see their worst nightmare the researchers should start working in the direction of the solution.
Two Sides Of The Coin
As they say, the coins have two sides. The drought which is extremely bad for farmers, but because of the same drought, this discovery was even made. There was no other way to discover the henge. The drought brought it out in open in front of the world to show what all lies in the depth of the earth and there is so much we don’t know.
Hidden Treasures
This story has proved that there are still so many treasures and historically important structures still burying in the ground waiting for their days to show themselves. So, the next time you step always remember that there might be something hidden. But that doesn’t mean you would start digging the soil. You just have to be in the right place at the right time.
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