The trees that make up the forest spent thousands of years buried beneath tons of sand

Feb 21, 2014 10:21 GMT  ·  By

Thanks to recent storms in Cardigan Bay, i.e. an inlet of the Irish Sea, a forest said to be thousands of years old has surfaced in the region.

Media reports say that the forest dates back to the Bronze Age, when it covered several miles between Borth and Ynyslas.

The trees that comprise it are believed to have stopped growing about 4,500 – 6,000 years ago. At that time, they became engulfed in peat, sand, and saltwater, and disappeared from view. The Guardian reports that, back in 2010, a few tree stumps emerged from under the sand. This happened due to the fact that that year's winter was a particularly stormy one.

This year, the region was hit by yet another series of storms, and researchers who have been keeping a close eye on the area for several years now say that a fairly large portion of the lost forest is now visible.

Apart from pine, alder, oak, and birch tree stumps, researchers who paid a visit to the region just last month also found a timber walkway estimated to be about 3,100 – 4,000 years old.

Specialists Ross Cook and Deanna Groom with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales say that this walkway probably helped locals who lived in the area thousands of years ago navigate their waterlogged environment.

Apart from the timber walkway, human and animal footprints, together with remains of burnt stones, have also been found preserved in the peat encompassing the forest over the past couple of years.

What's interesting is that, according to local legend, these trees used to be part and parcel of a kingdom known as Cantre'r Gwaelod or the Sunken Hundred, Daily Mail reports.

The kingdom is said to have been destroyed by floods after a priestess named Mererid failed to carry out her duties, and allowed a magic well to overflow.