Cut-Marked Reindeer Bone
Archived: 8 September 2026
Castlepook Cave, County Cork, contains a reindeer femur reportedly cut with a stone tool about 31,000 BC, potentially Ireland’s earliest evidence of human activity. The date is approximate, and disturbed cave deposits, lacking associated tools, hearths or settlements, prevent firm conclusions beyond a possible brief hunter visit. During Marine Isotope Stage 3, Ireland was cold, seasonal and variably glaciated, supporting open habitats and fauna including reindeer, mammoth, giant deer, bears, wolves and hyaenas. Low sea levels may have aided access, though routes remain unknown. Later glaciation probably destroyed evidence. The find suggests mobile hunter-gatherers, not permanent occupation, culture or organisation.