4,000-Year-Old Lost Stone Circle Unearthed Near Belfast

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Excavations near Belfast have revealed a previously unknown 4,000-year-old stone circle, dismantled by 19th-century farmers, and an exceptionally rare Bronze Age arrowhead.

4,000-Year-Old Lost Stone Circle Unearthed Near Belfast
Image credit: Rte

A previously undocumented stone circle estimated to be around 4,000 years old, along with a rare bronze arrowhead, has been discovered in the Ballynahatty area near Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland. The finds, uncovered during excavations carried out jointly by Queen's University Belfast students and local schoolchildren, are considered highly significant for what they may reveal about the region's prehistoric ritual landscape and for how they bring local communities together around a shared cultural heritage.

Traces spotted from the air

The team led by excavation director Brian Sloan noticed circular marks in the crops while examining aerial photographs of the area. A small test trench opened on the basis of these cropmarks quickly turned into a major discovery [1]. Ballynahatty is a prehistoric ritual landscape best known for the 'Giant's Ring', one of the largest circular earthwork monuments in Ireland. Researchers suggest that the newly identified stone circle was dismantled in the 19th century by local farmers clearing land for agriculture, yet the traces left behind by the removed stones were sufficient to confirm the former presence of the monument. Comparable stone circles are known across the British Isles as some of the most enigmatic ritual sites of prehistoric times [2].

A mysterious bronze arrowhead

In addition to the stone circle, the excavations yielded an exceptionally rare Bronze Age bronze arrowhead. Resembling a miniature version of the large bronze spearheads, this artefact has no direct parallel known elsewhere in Ireland. Sloan notes that similar examples have been documented not only in England but also in several parts of continental Europe, including France, Spain and Ukraine, and stresses that this points to a yet-to-be-unravelled new story about trade and mobility networks in prehistory.

The power of shared heritage

Conducted within the framework of a community archaeology programme, the excavations go beyond a purely academic project by involving local residents and children. Drawing attention to the area's divided past, specialists point out that such archaeological discoveries offer a unique opportunity to show that the past does not belong to one side alone but to everyone. For additional context and further reading that supports this perspective [3].

Sources and further reading

Image & news source: Rte / rte.ie