A massive prehistoric ‘henge’ site has been discovered in Lismullen, beside the Hill of Tara. The circular enclosure is over the size of 3 football fields, and is without doubt a national monument because of the rarity of henges in Ireland, as well as its importance to the Hill of Tara archaeological complex.

The discovery last month was kept a secret by the authorities, and it is understood that the National Roads Authority (NRA) has heavily pressurised the archaeologists (Archaeological Consultancy Services (ACS) to rush to complete excavations, so the site can be demolished. Large numbers of archaeologists have been paid overtime to complete the work, and the site is under 24 hour security.

Archaeological experts believe this find could be one of the most significant archaeological discoveries unearthed here, and might be the site of a structure similar to Stonehenge but made with wood.

Archaeologists said the site was most likely a wooden ‘henge’ used for ritual ceremonies. It is also understood that a burial mound has been discovered, which was the final resting place of a woman of high status. If confirmed, this is the first example of such an artefact found in Ireland.

“It’s very ancient and is a wooden equivalent of Stonehenge,” archaeologist with NUI Galway Joe Fenwick said. “It consists of a large enclosure, and a high-status burial chamber seems to have come to light. It’s several hectares in size, you’re talking about a massive complex. “Because of their nature, these timber henges are very rare. You could count them on the finger of one hand. The timber rotted away a long time ago, but the features would be dug into the subsoil. It would take a large team digging for several months to excavate the site.”

TaraWatch spokesman Vincent Salafia said the group had “well-placed sources within the National Museum” who were aware of draft directions that had been sent, which instructed that the monument be preserved by record. Dr Mark Clinton, chairman of An Taisce’s national monuments and antiquities committee, said: “The discovery of what could be called a temple, after the fashion of a comparable discovery at Emain Macha, seat of the kings of Ulster, is of obvious major significance. Such sites are extremely rare.” He called for full scientific excavation to be followed by reconstruction.

With More Information:

http://www.tarawatch.org/ http://tarawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/henge1.jpg

http://tarawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/henge1.jpg

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0501/meath.html

http://tarawatch.org/?p=365 http://tarawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/20...5/hengegeo1.jpg

http://tarawatch.org/?p=362