[Stones] Tara

[Tim P]

The top archaeological discovery of 2007 according to the Archaeology

Institute of America

http://www.archaeology.org/0801/topten/tara.html

Lismullin Henge, Tara, Ireland Volume 61 Number 1, January/February 2008
by Jarrett A. Lobell
Lismullin Henge . Gabhra Valley, Ireland
[image] (Courtesy Paula Geraghty/Save Tara Campaign)

Early last year, archaeologists working on the route of a controversial
highway near the village of Lismullin, Ireland, stumbled across a vast
Iron Age ceremonial enclosure, or henge, surrounded by two concentric
walls. The 2,000-year-old site is just over a mile from the Hill of
Tara, traditional seat of the ancient Irish kings and site of St.
Patrick's conversion of the Irish to Christianity in the fifth century
A.D. The discovery of the massive henge, measuring more than 260 feet in
diameter, confirms the long-held belief that the area around the hill
contains a rich complex of monuments.

The extraordinary amount of archaeological remains on the Hill of
Tara--burial mounds, religious enclosures, stone structures, and rock
art dating from the third millennium b.c. to the twelfth century
A.D.--makes it Ireland's most spiritually and archaeologically
significant site. Construction of the new M3 highway, meant to ease
traffic congestion around Dublin, threatens not only the Hill of Tara's
timeless quality, but also newly discovered archaeological sites in the
surrounding valley.

Lismullin, seen at right in an aerial shot taken during excavations, and
other sites that stand in the way of the new road are now approved for
destruction. Although archaeologists and concerned Irish politicians are
rallying support worldwide for the protection of the Hill of Tara (see
www.savetara.com to learn more about the effort), the iconic site
remains in great peril. At press time, the European Commission had
initiated legal action against the Irish government over the M3,
charging Ireland with failing to protect its own heritage.

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