Ancient cave art discovery suggests first known humans in Ireland walked over from Wales
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- Researchers discovered ancient cave art in south-west Ireland dating back at least 15,000 years, suggesting the first known humans in Ireland likely came from Wales via a lost land bridge during the last Ice Age.
- The land bridge connected Pembrokeshire in Wales to southeast Ireland when sea levels were low, providing a forested and grassland route that supported large herbivores and early hunter-gatherers.
- Using AI algorithms to identify potential cave sites, the team located 28 caves, with eight containing prehistoric rock art, pushing back the earliest evidence of human presence in Ireland by about 5,000 years.
- The cave art includes engravings, ochre and charcoal paintings, and clay sketches, showing a progression in artistic complexity linked to growing human populations and migration patterns.
- Researchers believe more undiscovered sites exist beyond southwest Ireland, indicating a broader early human presence and encouraging further exploration of Ireland’s prehistoric frontier.
