Construction worker accidentally discovers a 1,000-year-old hideout

last updated 15 April 2015

Construction workers in Ireland were in for quite a surprise when they started work on a road-widening project in County Cork. The workers found underground tunnels that led to a secret hiding spot.

When archaeologists from the National Roads Authority (NRA) arrived at the scene, they determined that the souterrain, the official name for the passage, was created about 1,000 years ago. They noted that the Caha Mountains, where the road construction was to take place, were once home to Neolithic settlements.

James Eoghan, senior archaeologist at the NRA, told Ireland's The Southern Star that souterrains were used for storing goods, including food and valuables, or as hideouts during attacks. Souterrains have been discovered in other parts of Ireland, but Eoghan said this one is unusual since it required tunneling through solid rock. The archaeologists are now working with Ireland's National Monuments Service to map and preserve the Caha site. The road-widening project will move forward, too.