AN ANCIENT tomb recently discovered in County Kerry is believed to date back as far as the Bronze Age or even beyond.
Last week, a farmer's decision to carry out works on his land on the Dingle Peninsula led to an incredible discovery: an ancient tomb, thousands of years old, which appears 'untouched' by the passage of time.
The tomb was uncovered by a digger, which revealed a slab-lined chamber underneath a large stone slab, with a adjoining sub-chamber found within the tomb.
The tomb contained an 'unusual smooth oval-shaped stone', RTÉ News reports, and even what is believed to be pieces of ancient human bone.
Archaeologists from the National Monuments Service believe the tomb may date to the Bronze Age, between 2000BC and 500BC, but there is a chance that the tomb was built even before then, due to a number of 'highly unusual' features.
The exact location of the tomb has not been revealed in order to protect the structure and the land, but was discovered somewhere on the Dingle Peninsula (Getty)Staff from the National Museum of Ireland joined archaeologists over the weekend to examine the tomb, whose exact location has not been revealed in order to prevent visitors from potentially damaging the land or the tomb.
Archaeologist Dr Breandán Ó Cíobháin told RTÉ News that the tomb appears to be "completely untouched" which is "very rare".
"It is an extremely significant find as the original structure has been preserved and not interfered with, as may have occurred in the case of other uncovered tomb," he said.
Further investigations int the tomb and human remains are due to take place.
