Archaeologists Discover Eight-Foot Pagan Oak Idol, May Have Used It to Commune With the Spirit World 1600 Years Ago

The legacy of pagan faith stretches thousands of years. In 2021, evidence of it was uncovered from a bog at Gortnacrannagh in Ireland, according to the Irish Examiner. This site is around six kilometres away from the prehistoric royal site of Rathcroghan.

The evidence in question is an idol, featuring a small human-shaped head along with multiple horizontal markings on its body. Examinations indicated that the idol was around 1,600 years old and was carved out of a split trunk of an oak tree. The object measures around two and a half metres, and is possibly the largest of its kind to be discovered in Ireland. It was the 12th such idol to have been uncovered from various places in the country. 

The discovery happened during the survey undertaken by Archaeological Management Solutions (AMS) on the N5 Ballaghaderreen highway in County Roscommon, according to All That's Interesting. "Road projects such as the N5 provide a significant opportunity for the investigation of our archaeological heritage," added Deirdre McCarthy, resident archaeologist with Roscommon County Council. "Gortnacrannagh is an excellent example. Were it not for the road, we would never have known about this extraordinary site."

The object has been named 'Gortnacrannagh Idol' by the team who found it. Experts think that the idol represents a specific pagan deity, which could also be the case for the other dozen similar idols. Researchers think that such idols were brought to wetlands like a bog by followers to connect with their deity or the Otherworld.

Lead excavator Dr. Eve Campbell believes that the assertion is correct as it is backed up by the discovery of animal bone and a dagger at the site. This made the team assert that these idols were used in some kind of ritual, which also involved animal sacrifices. The bog eventually played a huge role in the survival of this model. The conditions prevalent in this bog prevented the idol from being corroded and kept it in an optimal state, according to researchers. 

The object was spotted face down and in two pieces, stated Smithsonian Magazine. Researchers believe this indicates that it was intentionally 'decommissioned' as a sacrifice. Radiocarbon dating places the date of its creation somewhere between 200 and 400 C.E.

Experts believe not only the 'Gortnacrannagh Idol' but also the other 11 had the same ritualistic purpose. There were many similarities in the features of these objects, which implied this assertion. "The lower ends of several figures were also worked to a point suggesting that they may once have stood upright," explained wood specialist Cathy Moore. "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."

At present, the object is in the custody of University College Dublin (UCD). Meanwhile, the AMS researchers want to build a replica of the idol, along with the UCD Center for Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture, as well as the UCC Pallasboy Project. Experts think this will help them to understand the process by which the idol was made and other implications of its features.