Newgrange

Countryside near Newgrange

There is something about ancient tombs and artifacts that appeals to me. I like thinking about who these humans were and what they may have thought, and the mysteries these monuments present. Visiting Ireland, we, of course, had to go to Newgrange, the megalithic passage tomb that dates to about 3,200 B.C. (Dates vary, but certainly older than Stonehenge or the Pyramids of Giza.

We visited another tomb near Newgrange as well, Knowth, which is also a passage tomb, but because it is structurally unsafe, we weren't allowed to enter. Knowth is the largest passage tomb. It includes many satellite tombs and contains more than one-third of the megalithic art known in Europe. A stone outside may be an ancient calendar.

Kevin at Knowth

A calendar?

Newgrange entrance

The entrance stone at Newgrange appear to show the six days that the sun enters the tomb, the three days preceding the winter solstice, the day of the solstice, and the two days after. The three spirals (showing the passage of the sun?) before the line pointing to the entrance are moving one direction, while the two swirls on the other side move in the opposite direction. The sun enters the tomb through the window above the door. It was a thrill to squeeze into the narrow passage and watch, in total darkness, as the guide demonstrated with a flashlight how a beam of light enters at dawn on those days. Even with people around, it was spine-tingling. I can't recommend a trip there enough.

View from the top of Knowth tomb.