radiocarbon

Organisers of the dig will now study the findings, but they say they are confident radiocarbon analysis of the artefacts will confirm this was the location of Erenagh's long lost monastery.

Combining the radiocarbon dates with archaeological information revealed that early Neolithic activity, including the digging of pits, took place around 3,650BC.

"However, after running numerous radiocarbon dates, it became clear they were built much earlier."

According to radiocarbon dating, the cauldrons date back to the late Bronze Age, i.e. they were in use around 2,700 years ago.

For this they combined annual growth ring measurements on wooden building elements with the sudden spike of cosmogenic radiocarbon in 5259 BC.