The Newgrange Tomb, which is a part of the extensive Brú na Bóinne complex (Palace of the Boyne) in County Meath, is one of the most famous Megalithic monuments in the world and the most famous site of Neolithic art in Ireland. Carbon-14 dating methods indicate that Newgrange Tomb was constructed between c.3300-2900 BCE, which is six centuries older than the oldest pyramid in Egypt and seven hundred years older than the stone circle at Stonehenge, during the late Stone Age or early Bronze era. Megalithic art experts calculate it took a workforce of 300, about 20 years to complete.
The Newgrange Tomb is one of the most famous Megalithic monuments in the world
It holds as many mysteries as each of world-known famous structures like the Great Pyramid of Giza and Stonehenge
The Newgrange tomb in Ireland holds as many mysteries as each of world-known famous structures like the Great Pyramid of Giza and Stonehenge. The massive complex of Newgrange was built about 3200 BC, yet its existence was not discovered by modern-age humans until 1699 when a local landowner wanted the mound dug up for its stones. Newgrange is a large circular mound with a stone passageway and chambers within. The mound is ringed by engraved “kerbstones” and has been classified by archaeologists as a passage tomb. Human bones were found in the chambers. “The remains of at least five people were recovered during excavation, although originally much more bone may have been placed there,” according to World Heritage Ireland. “Most of the bones found were cremated, although small amounts were unburned. Grave goods of chalk and bone beads and pendants as well as some polished stone balls were placed with the dead.”
Archaeologists classified Newgrange as a passage tomb, however, Newgrange is now recognized to be much more than a passage tomb. The ancient temple is a more fitting classification, a place of astrological, spiritual, religious, and ceremonial importance, much as present-day cathedrals are places of prestige and worship where dignitaries may be laid to rest. Clare Tuffy, manager of the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre, told CNN: “We think for the people who built it, it was far more than just a tomb. It would have been a place where people gathered, it would have been a place where the ancestors were honored. It is a symbol of the people’s wealth, and it is a place probably where they interceded between the living and the dead.”
The Newgrange Tomb is a place of astrological, spiritual, religious, and ceremonial importance
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