Archaeologists Uncover Largest Prehistoric Settlement in Ireland

Archaeologists have discovered what may be the largest cluster of prehistoric houses ever found in Britain and Ireland. The site, located in the Baltinglass hillfort cluster in Co Wicklow, features evidence of over 600 houses that existed during the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age periods, approximately between **3700 and 800 BC**. This significant finding surpasses the previously largest known cluster at Mullaghfarna in Co Sligo, which contained over **150 houses**.

The Baltinglass hillfort cluster consists of up to **13 large hilltop enclosures** spread across a series of hills at the south-western edge of the Wicklow Mountains. According to researchers from **Cambridge University**, the area demonstrates continuous use and monumental construction from the Early Neolithic through to the Bronze Age. The site’s significance is underscored by the unique structure known as the **Brusselstown Ring**, which is characterized by two widely spaced ramparts that encompass the enclosure.

Recent airborne surveys of the Brusselstown Ring indicate the presence of over **600 suspected house platforms**. Among these, **98 platforms** are located within the inner enclosure, while the remaining **509** are situated between the inner and outer enclosing elements. This makes it the largest clustered hillfort settlement documented in prehistoric Ireland and Britain to date.

Cherie Edwards, a key author of the study published in the journal **Antiquity**, noted that “this site – along with a small number of other nucleated settlements situated on hilltops – appears to have emerged around **1200 BC**.” The findings suggest that the development of early urban centers in northern Europe may have occurred nearly **500 years earlier** than previously believed.

The research team strategically placed excavation trenches over house platforms of varying diameters, ranging from **six to twelve metres**, to explore potential correlations between house size and indicators of social differentiation. Dr. Edwards emphasized that the settlement “clearly dates to the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age (**1193-410 BC**) and represents a nucleated or agglomerated site characterized by a high density of dwellings.”

In addition to the house platforms, archaeologists unearthed a distinctive structure near one of the trenches, featuring a flat interior outlined by large stones. Previous surveys suggested that a stream may have flowed into the structure from uphill, leading scientists to hypothesize that it could be a **Bronze and Iron Age water cistern**. If confirmed, this would represent the first of its kind discovered within an Irish hillfort.

The implications of this discovery extend beyond the archaeological significance; they offer new insights into the social organization and settlement patterns of ancient communities in Ireland and Britain. As research continues, the Baltinglass hillfort cluster is poised to reshape our understanding of prehistoric life in the region.