GoKawiil"With the help of caving specialist Shane Diffily and digital mapping consultant Darren Lee, we were able to fill a computer algorithm with everything we knew about the characteristics of cave dwellings in south Wales and set it to work searching for similar sites in Ireland, without us trudging blindly around the countryside, hoping to bump into something which looked promising."
Ancient cave art suggests first known humans in Ireland walked over from Wales
Why This Matters
Researchers say cave art findings point to Ireland's earliest known humans having crossed from Wales, a claim that could reshape understanding of the island's settlement history. Notably, the team used a computer algorithm trained on the characteristics of known south Welsh cave dwellings to predict likely Irish sites, rather than searching on foot. It's a small but telling example of how data-driven tools are speeding up discovery in fields far from Silicon Valley.
Key Takeaways
- Cave art evidence suggests Ireland's first known humans arrived from Wales.
- An algorithm modeled on south Welsh cave-dwelling traits was used to pinpoint candidate Irish sites.
- The project combined caving expertise with digital mapping, replacing blind fieldwork with targeted search.
Worth a Look
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