Excavations near the Carrowmore megalithic complex in County Sligo have uncovered a series of Neolithic offering pits containing evidence of large-scale communal banqueting. Each pit was found to be lined with "gold dust"—fine particles of alluvial gold—mixed with the remains of thousands of charred hazelnut shells and cattle bones. The stratigraphy suggests these pits were used during a single, massive event roughly 5,000 years ago, likely a winter solstice celebration.
The use of precious minerals as a ritual soil-enhancement reveals the extreme economic and spiritual investment early farming communities placed in their seasonal festivals. Archaeologists are now looking for a central feasting hall that may have served as the focal point for this prehistoric gathering of clans from across the island.