4,000-Year-Old Hidden Tomb Discovered Intact, Housing Human Remains

Recently, an ancient crypt, seemingly untouched for millennia in southwest Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula, has been spotted by a farmer, who came across it when an excavator overturned a huge rock to unravel a secret chamber beneath.

Source: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Human bones, together with a smooth oval-shaped rock are discovered inside, possibly proof of ancient burial ceremonies. Archaeologists from the National Monuments Service and the National Museum of Ireland think that the tomb originated from the Bronze Age, around 2,500 to 4,000 years ago.
However, the crypt might date back further, because it was totally subterranean, different from the majority of Bronze Age tombs.

Source: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

“Given its location, orientation and the existence of the large slab, your initial thought is this is a Bronze Age tomb,” archaeologist Mícheál Ó Coileáin said. “But the design of this particular tomb is not like any of the other Bronze Age burial sites we have here. It's possible that it's earlier but it's very difficult at this early stage to date it.”
Archaeologists also discovered an adjoining sub-chamber near what seemed to be the entrance of the tomb, holding the assumed human skeletal pieces. They even found a smooth oval-shaped stone, though they haven’t yet figured out its function.

Source: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Fellow archaeologist Breandán Ó Cíobháin said that the tomb seems 'completely untouched,' and its contents remain in their original state. “That is very rare,” Ó Cíobháin said. “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 tombs.”
The fellow archaeologist also confirmed that the discovery might lead to significant comprehension of ancient burial rituals. This is also not the first discovery related to Bronze Age crypts in southwest Island, because previously, certain tombs have been discovered in Cork and Kerry.

Source: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The tombs there were commonly ‘wedge tombs’, narrowing at one end and protruding above ground. “[But] this one is completely concealed,” Ó Coileáin said. He theorized that wedge tombs mostly face the west and southwest, probably depicting ‘celestial or lunar alignments.’
Scientists also encounter some obstacles to completely estimate the layout of the tomb, as most of its part lies beneath the surface. Ó Coileáin claimed, “It is very well built, and a lot of effort has gone into putting the large cap stone over it. It's not a stone that was just found in the ground. It seems to have some significance.”
The National Monument Service says the tomb is in 'vulnerable condition' and is keeping its exact location private to preserve the site for future study. Known to have been inhabited for at least 6,000 years, Dingle Peninsula has been the site of several archaeological discoveries, including clochán, dry-stone beehive-shaped huts built by the Celts.