A prehistoric forest is believed to have been buried for more than 4,500 years and is only recently uncovered after a storm left the city devastated. The forest of Borth used to expand to a stretch of almost three miles along the shores of Ynys-las and Borth in Wales before a tragedy hit the area and buried it under a lot of sand, peat, and saltwater.
The forest has always been associated with what people believed was the Cantre'r Gwaelod, also known as the sunken civilization. It was popularly referred to as the 'Sunken Hundred' or the 'Lowland Hundred' considering the hundreds of trees that used to cover the forest land. Local legends also speak of the area as it was once known as the most fertile of all the islands. The township, back then, was said to be protected by floodgates.
All of these are legends that have been passed on from one generation to the next generation but was never really thought of as real until today.
When the high tide and low tides reveal what was left of the sunken hundred. When a huge storm named Hannah has hit Wales in late April of this year, the high winds caused the tree trunks to be exposed. Hannah as a storm is characterized as one of the strongest that hit the area. It has maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and caused heavy flooding. In fact, it caused a major disruption in the power source as well as travel across Wales.
Low tide and high winds have exposed the remains of the 4,500-year-old forest of trees. Petrified tree trunks preserved in local peat are now exposed. The locals sometimes refer to the ancient forest as the "Atlantis of Wales". The said forest has appeared in several myths. Among the popular versions is that where a maiden fails to fulfill her duties when she allowed the well to overflow, resulting in a flooded ancient forest.
Although stories about the legend are yet to be confirmed, this new revelation after the storm Hannah indeed says a lot. Experts are keen on encouraging people to ponder upon the implications of the after-storm finds. Fluctuations in climate all over the world could reach new levels of devastation.
