Newgrange – An Ancient Passage Tomb of Ireland

By Earl Hunsinger

The great pyramid in Egypt is the last of the seven wonders of the ancient world. For centuries people have marveled at its great age and impressive construction. Yet a group of lesser known monuments found in Ireland’s Boyne valley are thought to be even older. Newgrange is the best known of these. Its estimated construction date of 3200 BCE would make it 600 years older than the Giza pyramids and 1,000 years older than Stonehenge. It is a cairn, or mound of water rolled pebbles, each of which is between six and nine inches across. It is approximately 280 feet in diameter and 44 feet high. About 200,000 tons of material were used in its construction, and it has been estimated that it would have taken a work crew of 300 about 30 years to erect it. This cairn has 97 large kerbstones at its base and is surrounded by twelve standing stones. Some feel that there may have originally been 35 to 38 of these standing stones. Each of them is about six feet tall and they form a great circle around the mound about 340 feet in diameter, which is slightly large than the diameter of Stonehenge.

Newgrange is located about 30 miles north of Dublin, along with similar mounds known as Knowth and Dowth. These are a type of monument known to archaeologists as passage-graves or passage-tombs. Newgrange and its sister sites provide excellent examples of the art, engineering ability, and astronomical knowledge of the ancient inhabitants of Ireland.

For centuries the stones of Newgrange had been scavenged for stones, some of which were used to build roads. In fact, this was how it was discovered to be more than just a pile of stones. In 1699, the landowner instructed a group of laborers to get some stones from the mound. While doing so, they discovered an entrance. A 62 foot long passage leads to a central chamber with a 20 foot ceiling. This central chamber also has three side chambers. The passage was constructed with 21 orthostats, or standing stones, on the right and 22 on the left. These have an average height of 1.5m, with the tallest stones placed closer to the chamber. Seventeen additional stone slabs were used for the roof of the passage. One of the most impressive architectural features of Newgrange is the corbelled roof of the central chamber. Although the kerb, passage, and chamber, including this corbelled roof, were constructed without mortar, when the site was first excavated, the chamber was found to be standing intact without any evidence of repair work ever having been done. In fact, to this day the interior stays dry. This is due in part to grooves cut into the top of the passage roof stones, which redirect water seepage from the cairn, and therefore keep the passage waterproof.

Various motifs, or artistic symbols, are carved into the stones of Newgrange. Archeologists have categorized these as: zigzags (chevrons), lozenges, arcs, circles, spirals, serpentiforms, dot-in-circles, radials or star shapes, parallel lines, and offsets or comb-devices. The art here, and at its sister sites, has been called "the greatest collection of megalithic art in the world."

The most interesting time to visit Newgrange is at the winter solstice. At this time of the year, it becomes obvious that it is more than just a burial tomb (some have challenged the theory that it is a passage tomb at all). In constructing the long passage into the central chamber, the builders placed a stone box above the entrance. When the sun rises in the east, its rays pass through this stone box, penetrate down the long passage, and light up the normally dark inner chamber. This illumination lasts for approximately seventeen minutes. Scientists believe that the standing stones that encircle the mound also have astronomical significance, as do the sites at Knowth and Dowth.

So if you’re interested in history, architecture, art, or science, why not visit Ireland’s Boyne valley, and see for yourself the marvels created by its ancient inhabitants?