The entrance to the finest passage-grave in Europe opens to the South East in exact
line with the midwinter sunrise. What links does the grave have with astronomy? What
is the meaning of the spiral rock carvings? What can the grave's symbols reveal about
the religious beliefs in Ireland 5,000 years ago?
Beside the River Boyne in Ireland, where the waters make a wide curve, a prehistoric
cemetery harbours more than 25 passage graves. Known as the Bend of the Boyne, the
cemetery appears to be deliberately located on a hill so that its three finest tombs
- Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth - can dominate the fertile valley below.
Newgrange passage-grave is the finest prehistoric site in Ireland, for apart from
the extraordinary structure itself, it is endowed with outstanding rock carvings.
But was Newgrange just a sepulcher or did it have some further purpose? The ruined
and plundered tomb was rediscovered in 1699 and the Welsh antiquary Edward lliuyd
(1660-1708) was one of the first to enter it. He wrote:' At the first entering we
were forced to creep; but still as we went on the pillars on each side of us were
higher and higher; and coming into the cave we found it about 20 foot high. In this
cave, on each hand of us was a cell or apartment, and another went straight forward
to the entry.' The passage along which lliuyd entered is more than 18m (60ft) long,
and ends in three small chambers containing massive stone basins. In the high corbelled
roof, the hundred or so stones are perfectly balanced and remain in place without
the aid of mortar. In 5,000 years only two of the stones have broken. This perfection
of design and execution shows how the builders of Newgrange around 3250 BC were superb
craftsmen.
