Seriously old. Older than the pyramids. Perhaps even slightly older than the Ness of Brodgar on Orkney. 5000 years old. About an hours drive north of Dublin, sitting on hilltops surrounded by farm land are two huge chambered tombs. We did guided tours to two which have been excavated and reconstructed by archealogists. (There are others in the area) The first one is Knowth which has two passages entering into it that are aligned east and west and allow the sun to enter at the spring and autumn equinox, sowing and harvesting time for the farmers that built it.
It is huge and surrounded by at least 18 smaller tombs several of which have also been rebuilt.
We could only look along one of the passage ways which was illuminated by electric lights. We were not allowed to enter it, but there was a small room constructed just inside the entrance next to the passage so we could see it and get an idea of how the walls and roof were made.
There are 127 kerb stones weighing up to 3 tonnes that act like a retaining wall around the outside. These are all decorated differently. They were brought here from the coast 50km away in a time before the wheel and when there were no roads.
Newgrange has only one passage and 97 decorated kerb stones. The front is decorated with quartz brought from the mountains south of Dublin 80km away.
The front entrance faces south. At sunrise on the winter solstice the sun enters the window box above the door, progresses along the passage way and lights up the central chamber.
The sun lights up this engraving in the chamber. No photography was allowed when we went inside so this is a photo of one of the information boards.
One of the kerb stones.
These decorations are not unique to this location. They are found throughout western Europe at neolithic era sites so they must have been part of a wider belief system. They remind me of our Aboriginal art work. A very interesting day.
Absolutely incredible@
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