Human activity discovered in Ireland 33000 years ago
A REINDEER BONE fragment uncovered in a cave contains a revelation set to dramatically alter the understanding of Irish human history.
The bone fragment was found at Castlepook Cave near Doneraile in north Cork where a mammoth bone was discovered in 1972.
The bone, a hind leg reindeer femur, establishes human activity in Ireland 33,000 years ago, more than 20,000 years earlier than previously thought.
The cave was excavated by Naturalist Richard Ussher and a team between 1904-1912. Ussher called the cave Mammoth Cave, due to the high volume of woolly mammoth remains discovered there.
The reindeer bone bears chop marks consistent with butchering with a flint or stone tool. However, it was not until the femur fragment was sent for analysis that scientists realised the transformative potential of their discovery.
Radiocarbon dating of the femur revealed it to be 33,000 years old. Up to now the earliest evidence of human activity in Ireland was a butchered bear bone found in a Co Clare cave dated to be 12,500 years old.
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Mionn
I n-ainm Dé,
Dar Críost a Aon-Ṁac,
Dar Muire a Ċaoṁ-Ṁáṫair,
Dar Pádraic Apstal Gaeḋeal,
Dar dílseaċt Ċuilm Ċille,
Dar clú ar gciniḋ,
Dar crú ar sinnsear,
Dar dúnṁarḃaḋ Aoḋa Ruaiḋ,
Dar bás truaiġṁéileaċ Aoḋa Uí Néill,
Dar oiḋeaḋ Eoġan Ruaiḋ,
Dar mian an tSáirséalaiġ le huċt a ḃáis,
Dar osna éagcoṁlainn an Ġearaltaiġ,
Dar créaċtaiḃ cróil
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The end is come; upon this narrow rock
To-morrow I must die;
Wife of the ruddy cheeks and hair of flame,
Leave me to-night and fly.
Seek out the camp of Fionn and of his men
Upon the westward side;
Take there, in time to come, another mate.
Here I abide.
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Which way, O Goll, is my way, and thou perished?
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