knowth

Since 1962 excavations have been continuing at Knowth, and the magnificent tumulus exterior is now open to the public. Knowth is even more complex than Newgrange in its construction, containing two passages and being surrounded by seventeen satellite tombs. The great tumulus at Knowth is comparable in size and shape to Newgrange, standing 12 metres and having a diameter of some 65 metres. The mound is surrounded by up to 150 giant kerbstones, many of them beautifully decorated. However, the mound itself is different in its composition to that of Newgrange, consisting of layers of stones, turves and clay. Over 1,600 boulders, each weighing from one to several tons were used in the construction. In 1967 and 1968 the two passages of Knowth were discovered, both unusually long and in an excellent state of preservation. They open from the eastern and western sides of the tumulus and both are approximately 35 metres in length, the result being that both chambers are only a few metres apart at the centre of the mound. The chamber at the western passage is the less spectacular, consisting of a square, flat-roofed chamber, little wider than the entrance passage. The eastern passage opens out into the chamber which is a magnificent example of megalithic architecture. It is cruciform in shape and boasts a perfectly preserved corbelled roof which has survived intact through the ravages of times for almost five hundred years. Both chambers are remarkable for the richness of the megalithic art they contain.