Knowth Kerbstone K93

Knowth Kerbstone K93

The stone has a distinct horizontal arris, and the carvings on the upper part are noticeably more weathered than those lower down. The main motif is an eighteen-bend serpentiform that runs across the stone, beneath which is a horizontal line that turns upward at each end. Above the serpentiform is a row of six single arcs, with two double arcs and one single arc further to the right. All of the arcs open to the same side.

Knowth Kerbstone K93

Above these motifs, starting from the left, is a double concentric circle, followed by a set of three concentric circles. Between this motif and the next to the right there may once have been a circular design. There are also traces of short, curved lines that may have formed part of an earlier motif. The next motif to the right is an anticlockwise spiral that turns back on itself, with several short lines and curves immediately to its right. The carvings on the upper slope of the stone were picked with a small to medium-sized point, while those on the lower part were worked with a medium-to-large point. In addition, some elongated marks were made using a chisel.

Knowth Passage Tomb Aerial View

Knowth Stone Age Passage Tomb

Knowth is a Stone Age Passage Tomb in the Boyne Valley and with Newgrange and Dowth makes up the Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site. Knowth is the largest passage tomb of the Brú na Bóinne complex. The site consists of a large mound (known as Site 1) and 17 smaller satellite tombs. The mound is about 12 meters (40 ft) high and 67 meters (220 ft) in diameter covering about 1 hectare (2.5 acres). It contains two passages placed along an east-west line and was originally encircled by 127 kerbstones of which 124 are still in place.

The large mound is estimated to date to around 3200 BCE, placing it in the Late Neolithic period. The passages are independent of each other, in that they lead to separate burial chambers. The eastern passage arrives at cruciform chamber, similar to Newgrange. It contains three recesses and basin stones into which the cremated remains of the dead were placed. The right-hand recess is larger and more elaborately decorated with megalithic art than the others, which is typical for Irish passage graves of this type. The western passage ends in an undifferentiated chamber (not have a definite chamber but rather a widening of the passage that defines the chamber). This chamber is separated from the passage by a sillstone. The chamber seems to have also contained a basin stone. This was later removed and is now located about two-thirds down the passageway.