Aerial View of Newgrange
Before the arrival of the Celts (about 500 BC), Ireland was inhabited by a Neolithic people who were responsible for the construction of many Stone Age monuments and tombs. They were an advanced farming culture and had an evident interest in and knowledge of astronomy. (1)
One of the greatest achievements of this era was the megalithic passage grave at Newgrange. Newgrange is located in Co. Meath, some fifty miles outside of Dublin on the eastern coast of Ireland.
It is believed to pre-date the pyramids in Egypt by 500 years and Stonehenge in England by as many as 10,00 years, making it one of the world’s oldest structures.
Newgrange was constructed between approximately 3300-2900 B.C. covering an entire acre of land. It is part of a complex known as Brú na Bóinne which also includes two other passage tombs, Knowth and Dowth, along with 37 smaller satellite tombs.
The tomb of Newgrange consists of a large mound, 250ft across and 40ft high. This mound houses a long passageway that extends nearly 83ft towards the center of the mound leading to a central chamber. This central burial chamber is formed in the shape of a cross and has a ceiling that expands nearly 20ft above.
One of the most miraculous aspects of this structure is that the roof is in near-perfect condition and completely waterproof despite its age of over 5000 years. (2)
The main function of Newgrange was as a tomb. During the Neolithic age, human remains were cremated. In the early 1960s, during the excavation of the site, the remains of five individuals were found. It is believed that the large stone basins found in the cruciform chamber were used to store the cremated remains.
These stone basins also serve another purpose. An important part of the religious beliefs of the Neolithic people involved the sun. Astronomical events were vital as they served to schedule major events such as harvesting, planting and the gauging of winter supplies all of which determined the survival of the community. The winter solstice marked the midpoint of the season and symbolized the rebirth of the earth in the coming spring. Newgrange is a monument to this celebrated event. Once a year, on December 21st, the sun shines into the mound through a small roof box opening above the main entrance. The sunlight is guided down the long passage into the cruciform chamber where it fills up one of the large basins and illuminates the entire cavity.
These solar alignments are a common feature in passage graves of this period the world over, however, none are as precise as that of Newgrange.
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