Ireland’s iconic megalithic tombs may have had an unexpected function

Ireland’s megalithic tombs might not have been burial grounds for elite dynasties, as some thought, but rather places of community bonding.

In 2020, researchers found genetic links among dozens of people in ancient tombs scattered across Ireland and evidence of incest in a man buried in an elaborate sepulchre, leading them to conclude that the tombs held members of a hereditary ruling class, somewhat akin to Egyptian pharaohs.

Like many archaeologists, Jessica Smyth…