Cave Sediment Chronologies
Archived: 9 September 2026
Around 31,932 BCE, Ireland lay in a cold, unstable pre-Last Glacial Maximum environment as the British–Irish Ice Sheet expanded. Precise annual dating is impossible; evidence derives from radiocarbon-dated cave fauna and reconstructions. Castlepook Cave, County Cork, preserved remains including mammoth, reindeer, giant deer, bear, wolf, Arctic fox, lemmings and hyaena, indicating intermittently habitable open terrain. A reindeer bone may bear stone-tool marks and date to about 33,000 years ago, suggesting a possible human visit. However, disturbed old collections and uncertain context prevent proof of occupation. Later glaciation erased much evidence, while modern re-dating and excavation continue refining Ireland's Palaeolithic record.
