During a visit to Eire earlier this year, I visited the Boyne valley north of Dublin. The valley is named after the river Boyne that wends its way along its base. The valley is a Mecca for Pagan visitors, boasting some of the most famous sites in the Celtic world. The valley itself has over 40 prehistoric tombs, the Hill of Tara which was the seat of the high kings of Ireland and the Bru Na Boinne complex.
Access to the complex is via the visitor's centre, which has a good book shop and a museum. The museum's displays are very interesting and give an insight into the life of the ancient Irish people. Showing both artefacts and reconstructions of daily life. To get to the monuments you must buy tickets for the regular shuttle bus service. Within the park are several passage tombs, standing stones and medieval sites.
The three largest tombs are Dowth, Knowth and Newgrange. Dowth is still being excavated and is not currently accessible to the public. The Nwgrange complex has had much written on it already, being famous for its 'light box' an opening in the stones, through which the rising sun illuminates the chamber on the morning of the Winter solstice.
Knowth is overshadowed by the fame of Newgrange but after visiting both tombs I was far more impressed with Knowth. The group I was with had the benefit of an excellent guide who brought the whole place to life once more.
Archaeology is a slow painstaking task and the excavation and reconstruction of the tomb has been going on since the 1960`s. The main mound is 12 m high and covers an area of 80 by 85 meters, around its circumference are 127 Kerbstones, most decorated with spirals and other art. I was constructed of over 1600 boulders some weighing several tons, a masterful piece of engineering. Two passages have been discovered within the mound one entering from the west and the other from the east each being around 35 m in length. Both passages are highly decorated and from one of the tombs a large cremation bowls was recovered. Surrounding the main tomb are 19 smaller satellite tombs each impressive in itself, remains of an early Christian house, evidence of ancient field systems and later fortifications.
Knowth has had a long history; it was built around 3000 BC and was a centre of religious activities for around 500 years. The site remained a place of mystery but had kittle use until 800 AD when it was fortified and became the seat of the King of North Brega, annals record unsuccessful Viking raids against Knowth between 863 - 943 AD. After surviving the Vikings the mound was abandoned until the 12th Centuary when the anglo-normans again fortified the top and used it as a military base. The land at this time belonged to the Cistercian abbey at Mellifont.
We will never know the full secrets of these great tombs, but sites such as KnoWth have captured and inspired the imagination and respect of people for over 5000 years.
Chris