Wood Specialist, Cathy Moore inspecting the Gortnacrannagh Idol. Only a dozen such idols have been found in Ireland and at more than two and a half metres, the Gortnacrannagh Idol is the largest to date.
Posted on 08/15/2021 12:11:01 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Irish archaeologists have unearthed a 1,600-year-old wooden pagan idol... from a bog in Gortnacrannagh, around six kilometres from the prehistoric royal site of Rathcroghan.
The idol was made during the Iron Age from a split trunk of an oak tree, with a small human-shaped head at one end and several horizontal notches carved along its body.
Only a dozen such idols have been found in Ireland and at more than two and a half metres, the Gortnacrannagh Idol is the largest to date.
The wooden carving was discovered by a team from the Archaeological Management Solutions (AMS), working in advance of the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge Road Project.
Dr Eve Campbell, director of the AMS excavation site said the idol was carved just over 100 years before St Patrick came to Ireland...
"The lower ends of several figures were also worked to a point suggesting that they may once have stood upright," said wood specialist, Cathy Moore.
"Their meaning is open to interpretation, but they may have marked special places in the landscape, have represented particular individuals or deities or perhaps have functioned as wooden bog bodies, sacrificed in lieu of humans."
(Excerpt) Read more at irishexaminer.com ...
Wood Specialist, Cathy Moore inspecting the Gortnacrannagh Idol. Only a dozen such idols have been found in Ireland and at more than two and a half metres, the Gortnacrannagh Idol is the largest to date.
More bog people.
Changed their mind about that one, I guess.
Must have been a factory reject.
Eye makeup on a dude......... lol
They ought to send it to the Pope. I’m sure he can find a spot on the alter for it.
He looks like Tollund Man, now that you mention it... :)
Keith will outlive us all!
Irish Pachamama
:^)
Now that’s funny!
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