A THOUSAND YEAR OLD PRE-VIKING STRUCTURE FOUND PRESERVED UNDER IRELAND SUPERMARKET, LIDL

Check out this thousand year old pre-Viking structure that has been preserved under an Ireland supermarket called Lidl.

Irish locals can now do their supermarket shopping while getting educated on the unique 1,000 year old Irish-Viking house under their feet. Customers can now view the archaeological find, which is located underneath the floor of the Lidl supermarket in Aungier Street in Dublin.

After the 11th century home was discovered on the new supermarket's build site, experts were allowed to excavate the structure and, with the public’s interests at heart, was integrated into the store’s design. They installed a rectangle of glass flooring so that shoppers can take a peek at history.

Archaeological site director, Paul Duffy, explained that the pre-Viking era finding is a "unique structure for Dublin" and added that "We don’t know of anything quite like this in the city."

The space discovered was believed to have been used as an additional area for a family in that era. "It’s a domestic structure, so you have to imagine that there would have been a suburb here of Hiberno-Norse Dubliners, who were effectively the ancestors of the Vikings," Dufy explains.

Hiberno-Norse Dubliners built it by digging a pit in the ground and lining it with blocks of local calp limestone, before laying a floor of planks and building an overarching structure of post and wattle, roofed with thatch.

Not only was this magnificent discovery made, but several other artefacts were recovered from the dig as well, including a 13th century wine jug.

Apart from the Viking home, shoppers will also be able to look down at the remains of an 18th century "pit trap" that was once part of the Aungier Street theatre.

With the new interesting viewings in the supermarket, the store also placed information boards to allow visitors to learn more about Dublin’s fascinating history.

Vincent Cronolly, who represents Lidl, Ireland recently added that “It’s a very unique opportunity for people to come and see a bit more of medieval Dublin, while doing the weekly shop.”

Dublin City archaeologist Dr. Ruth Johnson said, he “hope it’s the right way to go,”  when allowing history and modern structures to co-exist.

Dublin Ladies Gaelic football star Sinéad Goldrick officially opened the new supermarket on 15 October and said it was "a wonderful way to keep our local history alive".

This new development provides a remarkable insight into how people in the city once lived, making it one of the most unique shopping trips around.