Ancient cave art discovery suggests first known humans in Ireland walked over from Wales
Archaeologists have discovered ancient cave art in south-west Ireland, suggesting that early humans migrated from Wales via a 'lost land bridge' during the last Ice Age. This finding pushes back the timeline of human presence in Ireland by approximately 5,000 years.
Why it matters
This discovery fundamentally alters the historical understanding of human migration patterns and the prehistoric geography of the British Isles.
Image source, George Nash - Lost Land Bridge Project Image caption, Researchers have helped to unearth the earliest known evidence of human existence in Ireland
Researchers believe the first known humans to set foot on Ireland thousands of years ago were most likely from Wales, following the "exciting" discovery of ancient cave art.
During the most recent Ice Age, when much of the British Isles were beneath a vast continental glacier, the depleted sea levels opened a "lost land bridge" between modern-day Pembrokeshire and the south-east tip of Ireland, around Rosslare.
According to rock expert Dr George Nash, from Liverpool University, the opportunities presented by this pathway would have been too good for hunter gatherers to ignore.
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