Brú na Bóinne (Irish: [bˠɾˠuː nə bˠoːn̪ʲə], the Palace of the Boyne or Mansion of the Boyne ) is an area in County Meath, Ireland, which lies in a bend of the River Boyne. It contains one of the world’s most important prehistoric landscape dating from the Neolithic period, including the great megalithic passage graves of Knowth, Newgrange and Dowth and some 90 additional monuments.
Since 1993 the website has been a World Heritage Site designated by UNESCO, known since 2013 as the “Brú na Bóinne – Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne”.
Place
The area is located County Meath, Ireland, in a bend of the River Boyne. It is about 40 kilometers north of Dublin. [1]
Besides being surrounded on its southern, western and eastern sides of the Boyne, Boyne one of the tributaries, the Mattock, runs along the northern edge, almost completely surrounding Brú na Bóinne with water. All but two of the prehistoric sites are in this river isthmus.
Site Description
The area has been a center of human settlement for at least 6000 years, but the major structures date to about 5,000 years ago, from the Neolithic period. [1]
The site is a complex of Neolithic mounds, chamber tombs, standing stones, henges and other prehistoric enclosures, some from as early as the 35th century BC -32 st century before Christ. The site thus precedes Egyptian pyramids and was built with finesse and knowledge of science and astronomy, as is evident igånggrift at Newgrange. The site is often called the “Bend of the Boyne” and this is often (wrongly) assumed to be a translation of Brú na Bóinne ( Palace or Mansion of the Boyne). [1] The associated archaeological culture is often called “Boyne culture”.
The site covers 780 hectares (1,927 acres) and contains about 40 passage graves, [1] as well as other prehistoric sites and later features. The majority of the monuments are concentrated on the north side of the river. The most famous places in the Brú na Bóinne are passage graves of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, all known for their collections avmegalitiska art. Each is on a ridge in the river bend and two of graves, Knowth and Newgrange, appears to contain stones reused from a previous monuments on platsen.Newgrange the central hill Boyne Valley passage grave cemetery, the circular heap in which the cruciform burial chamber is disposed with a diameter of over 100 meter.Knowth and Dowth are of comparable size. There is no on-site evidence of past activities on the site, except for the spotfinds of flint tools left by mesolitiskajägare.
The passage graves were constructed starting in about 3300 BC and work stopped around 2900 BC. The area continued to be used for accommodation and ritual purposes until the early avbronsåldern, when a number of election, pit and wooden pole Circles (collectively “henges”) was built.Objects from the later Bronze Age are relatively unnoticed: some chest and ring dikes funerals and Skärvstenshög. For the Iron Age, there is only evidence of sporadic activity, such as funerals near Knowth and Rosnaree.Valuable artefacts from Roman times as coins and jewelry found as offerings in the near Newgrange. [1]
Several other enclosure and Megalith sites have been identified in the river bend and has been simple letter designations such as M Enclosures. Besides the three large graves, several other ceremonial sites make up the complex including:
- Cloghalea Stonehenge
- Townleyhall passage grave
- Monknewtown henge and ritual dust
- Newgrange cursus
Astronomical adjustments
Each of the three main sites Megalith archaeoastronomical has significant importance. Newgrange and Dowth is the winter solstice sun specializations, while Knowth focus on the Spring and Autumn Equinox. In addition, the immediate surroundings of the main sites investigated for other possible approaches. The layout and design of the Brú na Bóinne complex of the valley have also been studied for astronomical significance.
Brú na Bóinne visitor center
All access to Newgrange and Knowth is by guided tour only, with tours beginning at the Visitor Centre, which opened in 1997 in Donore, County Meath. [1]
public transportation
Bus Éireann route 163 operates between Drogheda and Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre via Donore. [2] The nearest railway station is Drogheda Railway Station about 9 kilometers away.
See also
- List of archaeoastronomical seats per country
References
- ^ Jump up to: abcdef “Brú na Bóinne”. Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- Jump up ^ “bus timetable.” buseireann.ie. Retrieved seven October 2014.
- Lewis-Williams, D. and Pearce, D., Inside the Neolithic Mind , Thames and Hudson, London, 2005, ISBN 0-500-05138-0
- O’Kelly, MJ, Newgrange: Archaeology, Art and Legend , London: Thames and Hudson Ltd., in 1982.