on January 5, 2026, 4:49 pm
A Giant Ancient Structure Has Emerged From the Irish Hills and It May Be the Largest Prehistoric Site of Its Kind
By
David Freeman -
January 5, 2026
Brusselstown Ring has been known to researchers for generations, but the new fieldwork carried out by the current archaeological team places the site in a category unmatched anywhere in Ireland or Britain. The scale of the settlement is no longer in question. More than 600 possible house platforms sit across the slope inside and between a pair of massive enclosing elements. Test excavations confirm that many of these platforms contain prehistoric structural material from the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. The results point to a population level far larger than expected for this period and a settlement layout that follows a clear pattern across the hill.
A Giant Ancient Structure Has Emerged From the Irish Hills and It May Be the Largest Prehistoric Site of Its Kind
By
David Freeman -
January 5, 2026
Brusselstown Ring has been known to researchers for generations, but the new fieldwork carried out by the current archaeological team places the site in a category unmatched anywhere in Ireland or Britain. The scale of the settlement is no longer in question. More than 600 possible house platforms sit across the slope inside and between a pair of massive enclosing elements. Test excavations confirm that many of these platforms contain prehistoric structural material from the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. The results point to a population level far larger than expected for this period and a settlement layout that follows a clear pattern across the hill.
The Baltinglass hills already contain one of the most concentrated groups of prehistoric enclosures in Ireland. Multiple hilltops carry visible banks and earthworks constructed during the Neolithic, the Middle Bronze Age, and the Late Bronze Age. The chain of enclosures forms a connected landscape of repeated activity. Even within this setting, Brusselstown Ring stands out. The inner and outer ramparts surround 41.19 hectares. Beyond that, a larger contour fort joins Brusselstown Ring to the Neolithic enclosure on the neighbouring hilltop, enclosing a combined area of 131 hectares. Hilltop complexes of this scale are rare across Ireland and Britain and uncommon across continental Europe during the periods when fortified settlements reached their height.
Earlier surveys recorded nearly 300 circular depressions inside the enclosure. When lidar surveys were completed, the estimated number increased to more than 600. Ninety eight platforms lie inside the inner enclosure. A further 509 lie between the two ramparts. The next largest concentrations of prehistoric roundhouse platforms in Ireland contain fewer than 150 structures and are not enclosed. Brusselstown Ring exceeds these examples by a wide margin.
The excavation strategy focused on four small trenches placed at the centres of selected platforms. These trenches were small, but they produced clear structural evidence. One revealed a cobbled floor sealed beneath dark soil containing signs of burning. Another revealed part of a hearth and a sequence of stake holes. The remaining trenches contained pits, additional stake holes, and small quantities of lithics and burnt clay. Radiocarbon dates from these features place the occupation between 1210 and 780 BC, with two dates extending into the Early Iron Age. The range aligns with a period in which large settlements, metalworking networks, and fortified features appear across the region.
The platforms vary in size from three to twelve metres in diameter. Most fall between five and ten metres. Variation of this sort is common in settlements where structures serve different domestic or communal functions. The density of the platforms across the slope indicates long term occupation by a sizeable community. The positioning of the inner and outer ramparts frames the settlement area and establishes a clear boundary that separates the interior from the surrounding landscape.
A structure near one of the trenches displays a boat shaped outline formed by large kerbstones. Water from a seep enters the interior from an outcrop above. The dimensions differ from those of the roundhouse platforms. Comparable features in other regions have been used as cisterns for water collection during the Bronze Age and Iron Age. If this structure served a similar role, it would represent a rare example of water management infrastructure inside an Irish hillfort. A settlement with several hundred structures would require access to dependable water. The presence of such a feature inside the enclosure fits the scale of the site.
A Giant Ancient Structure Has Emerged From the Irish Hills and It May Be the Largest Prehistoric Site of Its Kind
By
David Freeman -
January 5, 2026
Brusselstown Ring has been known to researchers for generations, but the new fieldwork carried out by the current archaeological team places the site in a category unmatched anywhere in Ireland or Britain. The scale of the settlement is no longer in question. More than 600 possible house platforms sit across the slope inside and between a pair of massive enclosing elements. Test excavations confirm that many of these platforms contain prehistoric structural material from the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. The results point to a population level far larger than expected for this period and a settlement layout that follows a clear pattern across the hill.
The Baltinglass hills already contain one of the most concentrated groups of prehistoric enclosures in Ireland. Multiple hilltops carry visible banks and earthworks constructed during the Neolithic, the Middle Bronze Age, and the Late Bronze Age. The chain of enclosures forms a connected landscape of repeated activity. Even within this setting, Brusselstown Ring stands out. The inner and outer ramparts surround 41.19 hectares. Beyond that, a larger contour fort joins Brusselstown Ring to the Neolithic enclosure on the neighbouring hilltop, enclosing a combined area of 131 hectares. Hilltop complexes of this scale are rare across Ireland and Britain and uncommon across continental Europe during the periods when fortified settlements reached their height.
Earlier surveys recorded nearly 300 circular depressions inside the enclosure. When lidar surveys were completed, the estimated number increased to more than 600. Ninety eight platforms lie inside the inner enclosure. A further 509 lie between the two ramparts. The next largest concentrations of prehistoric roundhouse platforms in Ireland contain fewer than 150 structures and are not enclosed. Brusselstown Ring exceeds these examples by a wide margin.
The excavation strategy focused on four small trenches placed at the centres of selected platforms. These trenches were small, but they produced clear structural evidence. One revealed a cobbled floor sealed beneath dark soil containing signs of burning. Another revealed part of a hearth and a sequence of stake holes. The remaining trenches contained pits, additional stake holes, and small quantities of lithics and burnt clay. Radiocarbon dates from these features place the occupation between 1210 and 780 BC, with two dates extending into the Early Iron Age. The range aligns with a period in which large settlements, metalworking networks, and fortified features appear across the region.
The platforms vary in size from three to twelve metres in diameter. Most fall between five and ten metres. Variation of this sort is common in settlements where structures serve different domestic or communal functions. The density of the platforms across the slope indicates long term occupation by a sizeable community. The positioning of the inner and outer ramparts frames the settlement area and establishes a clear boundary that separates the interior from the surrounding landscape.
A structure near one of the trenches displays a boat shaped outline formed by large kerbstones. Water from a seep enters the interior from an outcrop above. The dimensions differ from those of the roundhouse platforms. Comparable features in other regions have been used as cisterns for water collection during the Bronze Age and Iron Age. If this structure served a similar role, it would represent a rare example of water management infrastructure inside an Irish hillfort. A settlement with several hundred structures would require access to dependable water. The presence of such a feature inside the enclosure fits the scale of the site.
The hilltop itself forms a visible unit within the broader Baltinglass landscape. The ramparts follow the contours and create a defined zone that could support a large population. The inner enclosure contains many of the platforms, while hundreds more occupy the slope between the ramparts. The larger contour fort binds the entire hill system together and links the Bronze Age and Iron Age settlement to the older Neolithic enclosure. This arrangement shows that the hilltops were treated as connected spaces over many centuries.
The structural evidence from the trenches supports domestic use. Hearths, pits, stake holes, and floor surfaces appear in multiple locations. These features indicate repeated building activity across the settlement area. The lack of abundant artefacts is consistent with other hillforts in Ireland. Domestic waste was limited, and organic materials decayed over time. The core information comes from the size, number, and arrangement of the platforms and from the radiocarbon dates obtained from the excavated features.
The two ramparts create a controlled interior landscape. Hundreds of structures lie within this defined territory. The outer contour fort extends this enclosed zone even further. The combined scale indicates coordination in construction and maintenance. The community that lived here used the slopes for dwellings and activity areas while maintaining boundaries that mark the hilltop as a unified settlement zone.
The newly documented water feature sits among these platforms and adds another layer to the understanding of how the community functioned. A managed water source inside a hilltop enclosure signals planning that matches the scale of the population. The form of the structure, the inflow from the seep, and its location near the settlement platforms create a coherent picture of resource management.
The evidence collected so far confirms that Brusselstown Ring holds the largest concentration of roundhouse platforms known from prehistoric Ireland or Britain. The settlement footprint surpasses all regional comparisons. The enclosed space, combined with the number of platforms and the radiocarbon dates, places the site at the centre of discussions about population size, community organisation, construction methods, and settlement patterns during the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age.
Households lived across the slopes inside clear boundaries. They built floors, maintained hearths, and placed structures close together. They repeated these actions across generations. The arrangement of the platforms suggests regular movement between domestic zones, terraces, and activity areas. The settlement did not rely on dispersed homesteads but on concentrated construction inside a controlled perimeter. The broader contour fort links this settlement to a neighbouring hill, showing that multiple summits were incorporated into a single monumental system.
The results now available establish Brusselstown Ring as a major prehistoric settlement. The population size implied by the density of structures is greater than any previously documented for this era in the region. The radiocarbon dates provide a secure timeline for the occupation. The features exposed in the trenches confirm domestic construction. The water feature inside the enclosure adds an important detail about how the community sustained itself on the hilltop. The combination of these findings presents a clear record of a large, organised settlement built during a period of considerable activity across the Atlantic regions.
Brusselstown Ring is now recognised as the largest nucleated settlement of its kind in prehistoric Ireland and Britain. The scale of the enclosure, the number of platforms, the domestic features revealed in the trenches, and the potential presence of a water management structure outline a settlement built and maintained by a substantial community. The work carried out at the site has established a foundation for understanding how people lived on this hilltop and how they constructed a settlement on a scale unmatched in the archaeology of the region. The information obtained from the excavations and surveys defines Brusselstown Ring as a central location in the study of large scale prehistoric communities.
Source:
Brandherm D, Edwards C, Boutoille L, O’Driscoll J. Brusselstown Ring: a nucleated settlement agglomeration in prehistoric Ireland. Antiquity. Published online 2025:1-8. doi:10.15184/aqy.2025.10247
ChristopherBlackwell
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