Drone Footage Captures 5,000-Year-Old Irish Henge Revealed By Drought
A recent hot spell has revealed an ancient 'henge' site within the archaeological landscape of Ireland's Brú na Bóinne. A henge is a type of Neolithic earthwork characterized by a ring-shaped bank and ditch, with the ditch inside the bank.
They are thought to have been used for ritual purposes. The latest henge was discovered when aerial photographer Anthony Murphy decided to fly over the Brú na Bóinne spurred by other recent discoveries.
He was amazed to see the outline of the structure below. "When we saw this, we knew straight away, this had never been seen or recorded before,’ he told NPR. The structure might be more than 5,000 years old according to archaeologists who estimate that the circle could have held thousands of people for ritual events.
The exact details of these rituals are unknown and still debated. As the discovery sits on private property it is still unclear whether archeological excavations will take place, but these types of structures are so rare that it is likely this area was crucial to its ancient inhabitants.
In the featured video, you can see the henge from above, it outlines is clearly visible from the helicopter.
Brú na Bóinne, is an area within the bend of the River Boyne which contains one of the world’s most important prehistoric landscapes. It is located 40 km north of Dublin.