Image Gallery
Tumna Gold Beads
Hollow gold balls, found at Tumna, Co. Roscommon, Ireland, in 1843, dating to the Late Bronze Age.
National Museum of Ireland-Archaeology, Dublin.
Eleven balls are said to have been found when a group of men were tilling land near Tumna church. Each ball is made in 2 sections, which are soldered together. They are perforated, which suggests that they were intended to be strung together. The graduated size of the balls also suggests that they were strung as beads in a necklace. After their discovery, it seems that they were divided amongst various collectors. Gradually, over a period of 150 years, 9 of the original 11 were acquired by the Irish Royal Academy and the National Museum of Ireland. One is in the collections of the British Museum in London, but the whereabouts of the one remaining ball are unknown.
Questions & Answers
When was Ireland first inhabited?
- Ireland was first inhabited between c. 7000-6500 BCE.
Where did the first people arrive in Ireland?
- People first arrived in Ireland at modern-day Coleraine in the north.
When did metallurgy begin in Ireland?
- Metallurgy had already developed by c. 2000 BCE.
What is the most famous metal Irish artifact?
- There are many well-known Irish works in metal, but among the most famous are the Ardagh Chalice and the Tara Brooch.
