Ancient man-made islands called “crannogs” found in the waters around the British Isles were originally thought to date back to the Iron Age, but recent radiocarbon dating of pottery found underwater has revealed they were built during the Neolithic period around 3640-3360 BC, predating Stonehenge. Archaeologists believe the sites may have been used for religious rites, funerals or celebratory festivals.
The northern waters around the British Isles are dotted with ancient man-made islands ranging in size from 30 to 100 feet (9 to 30 meters) in diameter. Known as “crannogs,” these islands were created with tons of rock and debris and typically featured round structures built over water. Archaeologists originally thought that most crannogs dated back to the Iron Age, as far back as 800 BC Recently, however, radiocarbon dating of ancient pottery found underwater near crannogs has pinpointed their origins at around 3640-3360 BC This means that at least some crannogs were built during the Neolithic period, long before the construction of the famous stone circle of Stonehenge, set at around 2500 BC
Mystery of the ancient islands:
Crannogs can be found in rivers, lakes and estuaries throughout Ireland and Scotland. The Scottish Crannog Center says they were created from the monumental task of beating piles of rock into manure.
Archaeologists have cataloged the remains of hundreds of these seashore islands, most of which are now covered in trees. Some appear as faint mounds sprouting just below the water’s surface.
Some of the ancient pottery vessels were found intact and showed signs of charring, leading some archaeologists to believe the sites were used for religious rites, funerals or celebratory festivals.
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