Researchers led by Dr Dirk Brandherm found a massive ancient settlement called Brusselstown Ring in the Wicklow Mountains, Ireland. It has over 600 suspected houses and dates back to around 1200 BC, during the Late Bronze Age. This makes it the largest known prehistoric settlement in Britain and Ireland. Previously, experts believed Bronze Age settlements were small. Dr Brandherm said, "Because if you've got more than 600 roundhouses, and potentially a large stone built cistern, that's no longer a village. We're talking a proto-town of sorts, and that's 2000 years before the Vikings." The site includes two large ramparts covering two hills, and a rare stone-lined cistern possibly used to store fresh water, which may be a first in Ireland. Four test excavations revealed houses of varying sizes, suggesting possible social differences, but more study is needed. Earlier, the largest known prehistoric cluster had 150 houses in County Sligo. The discovery challenges the idea that Vikings built the first Irish towns and offers a new view of Ireland’s ancient past.