28 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Irish archaeologists discover a rare 1,600-year-old idol in the Roscommon bog

A 1,600-year-old wooden pagan idol has been discovered in a bog in Co Roscommon by Irish archaeologists.

This rare artifact made more than 1600 years ago was discovered in the swamp of the town of Gortnacrannagh, 6 kilometers northeast of Rathcroghan, a prehistoric royal site.

The wood carving was discovered by a team of Archaeological Management Solutions (AMS) before the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge road project, which was funded by the Irish government and managed by the Irish Transport Infrastructure (TII) through the Roscommon County Council.

The idol was fashioned from a split trunk of an oak tree during the Iron Age, with a tiny human-shaped head at one end and many horizontal notches cut along its body.

Only a dozen such idols have been discovered in Ireland, and the Gortnacrannagh Idol is the biggest to date, standing more than two and a half meters tall.

“The Gortnacrannagh Idol was carved more than 100 years before St. Patrick came to Ireland-it is most likely an image of a pagan god. Our ancestors regarded the wetlands as mysterious places where they could connect with their gods and the afterlife The animal bones found next to the ritual dagger indicate that the animal sacrifice was performed at the site, and the idol is likely to be part of these rituals,” said Dr. Eve Campbell, an AMS archaeologist in charge of excavation at the site.

The idol was made during the Iron Age from a split trunk of an oak tree, with a small human-shaped head at one end and several horizontal notches carved along its body.
The idol was made during the Iron Age from a split trunk of an oak tree, with a small human-shaped head at one end and several horizontal notches carved along its body.

Wooden idols have been known in bogs throughout Northern Europe, where waterlogged conditions allow for the preservation of ancient wood. The Gortnacrannagh Idol is presently housed at University College Dublin, where conservator Susannah Kelly is working on preserving the ancient artifact during a three-year period. Once conserved the idol will go on display at the National Museum of Ireland.

Cathy Moore, a wood specialist, pointed out that the bottom ends of numerous figurines were similarly worked to a point, suggesting that they originally stood upright.

“Their meaning is open to interpretation, but they may have marked special places in the landscape, have represented particular individuals or deities, or perhaps have functioned as wooden bog bodies, sacrificed in lieu of humans,” she said.

A replica of the idol will be on display at the Rathcroghan Centre in Tulsk, Co Roscommon, created by AMS personnel in cooperation with members of the UCC Pallasboy Project and the UCD Centre for Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture.

Dr. Ros Maoldin of AMS stated that because the Gortnacrannagh Idol was such a rare and remarkable find, a duplicate was being made to assist people in better understand the idol and appreciate how it was made.

Cover Photo: Wood specialist, Cathy Moore, inspecting the wooden pagan idol that was found in a bog near Rathcroghan.

Related Articles

The greatest Anglo-Saxon treasure trove ever unearthed has been discovered by a metal detectorist

10 November 2021

10 November 2021

A metal detector in West Norfolk, England, unearthed 131 coins and 4 golden artifacts going back 1,400 years. This is...

Mass Grave of 150 Roman Legionaries Discovered in Vienna—First Direct Evidence of Ancient Combat on the Danube Limes

4 April 2025

4 April 2025

Archaeologists from the Vienna Museum have made a groundbreaking discovery on the outskirts of Vienna, unearthing the remains of approximately...

A Roman sarcophagus containing two skeletons was found in Bath, England

29 June 2021

29 June 2021

Stone walls, a Roman sarcophagus, and a cremation burial have been unearthed in a renovation project at the Bathwick Roman...

Unique Scythian glass pendants found in the Poltava region of Ukraine

8 October 2021

8 October 2021

Archaeologists have unearthed unique amphora-shaped pendants near the town of Kotelva in the Poltava oblast of central Ukraine. A team...

Statue of Roman Emperor Hadrianus found in western Turkey

14 September 2021

14 September 2021

Excavations in the ancient city of Alabanda in the western province of Aydin have uncovered pieces of the statue of...

2,400-year-old Battlefield of Alexander the Great’s First Persian Victory found in Türkiye

27 December 2024

27 December 2024

After 20 years of research, archaeologists in Türkiye have pinpointed the exact location of the legendary Battle of Granicus, where...

Ancient Agora Discovered in Hyllarima: Shops to Be Excavated in the Heart of the City

29 June 2025

29 June 2025

A major archaeological discovery has been made in the ancient city of Hyllarima in southwestern Türkiye—the city’s central agora has...

Aldi construction uncovered Roman mosaic in UK

18 March 2023

18 March 2023

A team of Oxford Archaeology archaeologists discovered a Roman mosaic in the market town of Olney, Buckinghamshire, England. Ahead of...

The Ancestors of Today’s Barbie Dolls “Coptic dolls”

23 September 2023

23 September 2023

For as long as there has been civilization, children have played with dolls. Wooden dolls with bead hair have been...

A Treasure-Laden Burial Chamber Found Hidden Among Terracotta Army

7 June 2024

7 June 2024

Qin Shi Huang was the first emperor of China, and his tomb is renowned for being guarded by an army...

Archaeologists unearth hidden tunnels under the 3,000-year-old temple complex

6 June 2022

6 June 2022

Archaeologists have discovered a system of hidden tunnels beneath the 3,000-year-old Chavín de Huántar temple complex in the Ancash Region...

Ancient Tombs and 2-Meter Sarcophagus with Hieroglyphics Unearthed Near Aga Khan Mausoleum in Aswan

11 July 2025

11 July 2025

A joint Egyptian-Italian archaeological team has unearthed a significant collection of ancient rock-cut tombs near the Aga Khan Mausoleum on...

Ancient settlements that challenge traditional thinking “Karahantepe and Taş Tepeler”

5 December 2021

5 December 2021

After Göbeklitepe in Şanlıurfa, which sheds light on 12,000 years ago in human history and is considered one of the...

Papal bull discovered in a former cemetery dated to the 14th century

10 May 2023

10 May 2023

A medieval bull found in 2021 in Budzistów village (Kołobrzeg district), Poland has been restored and placed on display in...

Roman-era chambers and clay offering vessels found in Antiocheia Ancient City, in southern Turkey

24 October 2022

24 October 2022

During excavations in southern Turkey’s ancient city of Antiocheia, archaeologists discovered late Roman-era chambers and clay offering vessels. Antakya, better...