Hidden Archaeology
Recently, the hot weather in Britain and Ireland has uncovered the remains of historic buildings hidden from view for hundreds of years. Marks on the parched grass delineate where buildings once sat and a race to plot each scorch mark then ensued before rain once again caused the finds to be hidden from view.
Aerial investigators flew over Wales to record hitherto lost archaeology. Their findings would be permanently held at the National Monuments Record of Wales.
Bray Head Fire
In Ireland, a wildfire that burned through gorse bushes has exposed a WWII sign of neutrality. This was to ensure that German bombers could see that Ireland was a neutral country. In practice, British and allied planes were permitted access to the skies over Ireland.
The Garda Air Support Unit, supporting fire crews on the ground, spotted the sign when flying above Bray Head. The existence of the ‘Eire 8’ sign became evident once the smoke had cleared from the wildfire that had burned for three weeks.
The Bray Head sign had been hidden since the Second World War, whilst other Eire signs are still visible in other locations along parts of the Irish coast. The signs were made from stones and then whitewashed to aid visibility. It is now hoped that the sign will be restored.
Sources:
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/dozens-lost-hidden-ancient-ruins-14883178
HistorianRuby: An Historian's Miscellany 
It’s nice to see that there are something positive come from all this hot weather and fires. Very interesting 🤔
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fascinating!! I can understand the fire exposing the sign, but had no idea that dried out crops could reveal the sites of buildings long gone.
LikeLiked by 2 people
We used to have a show here, Time Team, about archaeology, they frequently used aerial photography to view fields to see if they could spot what the ground was hiding from us. It is fascinating. I was recently in Marble Hill Park in London and could see for myself what looked like markings of either buildings or gardens through the parched grass.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The first buildings/ markings on grass are mind boggling. I still don’t understand how that is possible.
As for the Eire 8, I’m wondering why the number is so much different than the letters.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s the archaeology in the ground that prohibits grass growth (I think among other reasons, like the weather). With the Irish example I would suggest that it is damage to the figure 8 that obscures the full digit. They were marked out with paving or stones that were then hidden by vegetation growth.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You prompted me to research this. Amazing stuff.
LikeLike
This is something that has not been shared over where I am. I do hope they restore the signs. I am terribly sorry to hear about the fires. Wildfires are an issue over in the states as well. We have had a few in Oklahoma, but nothing near the size of California and ours have been put out
LikeLiked by 1 person