Enigmatic Underground Iron Age Monument At Navan Fort And Its Connection To The Ulster Kings Investi

Enigmatic Underground Iron Age Monument At Navan Fort And Its Connection To The Ulster Kings Investigated

AncientPages.com | August 24, 2023

Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com - When scientists discovered a massive, underground anomaly at Nava Fort in County Armagh in Northern Ireland, they suspected they may have encountered something of archaeological and historical importance. It has previously been suggested that Iron Age temples of the early, legendary Ulster Kings are hidden below the ground.



Scientists are attempting to shed more light on the Navan Fort, a large circular earthwork. Image credit: Armagh City, Bambridge and Craigavon Council.

This year, archaeologists have continued the investigation of the mysterious complex at Nava Fort, and researchers from Queen's University, Belfast, think they have now found physical evidence that the site could have been in use as early as the 4th Century B.C. The Iron Age covers the period from about 800 BC to the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD.

It was previously thought the site was home to a vast temple complex and ceremonial center where legendary kings, including Chonchobhar mac Nessa gathered.

"This year's dig has seen four fresh trenches opened on the hilltop site. "What we are discovering here is that some of the early phases here are really very special. They are unique probably in terms of the complexity of some of these monuments on this island - there's maybe only one or two other parallels that we know of.

Particularly because they are Iron Age in date, it is incredibly rare to find monumental structures of the Iron Age," said archaeologist Dr. Patrick Gleeson told the BBC. "At the moment it looks like what we have is an entirely new early to mid-Iron Age monumental horizon to the complex," he said.

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