Ardmulchan Passage Tomb

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Ardmulchan Passage Tomb
Native name
Irish: Tuama Pasáiste Ard Maolchon
Ireland adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Ardmulchan Passage Tomb in Ireland
Type passage grave
LocationArdmulchan, Navan,
County Meath, Ireland
Coordinates 53°40′57″N6°36′36″W / 53.6825°N 6.60988°W / 53.6825; -6.60988 Coordinates: 53°40′57″N6°36′36″W / 53.6825°N 6.60988°W / 53.6825; -6.60988
Area Boyne Valley
Elevation37 m (121 ft)
Builtc. 3000–2500 BC
Official nameArdmulchan Passage Tomb
Reference no.546

Ardmulchan Passage Tomb is a passage grave and National Monument located in County Meath, Ireland. [1]

Contents

Location

Ardmulchan Passage Tomb is located 5.6 km (3.5 mi) northeast of Navan, on the southeast bank of the River Boyne, next to Broadboyne Bridge. [2]

History

Ardmulchan Passage Tomb dates to 3000–2500 BC. [1]

Description

Two carved stones bearing megalithic art (two "picked signs" and one "incised sign") were found in 1974 during the construction of a house. A mound of earth nearby may be the remains of a passage grave. [3] [4]

Related Research Articles

Passage grave Type of megalithic tomb

A passage grave or passage tomb consists of one or more burial chambers covered in earth or with stone, and having a narrow access passage made of large stones. These structures usually date from the Neolithic Age, and are found largely in Western Europe. When covered in earth, a passage grave is a type of burial mound which are found in various forms all over the world. When a passage grave is covered in stone, it is a type of cairn.

Newgrange Neolithic monument in County Meath, Ireland

Newgrange is a prehistoric monument in County Meath in Ireland, located on a rise overlooking the River Boyne, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) west of Drogheda. It is an exceptionally grand passage tomb built during the Neolithic Period, around 3200 BC, making it older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. It is aligned on the winter solstice sunrise. Newgrange is the main monument in the Brú na Bóinne complex, a World Heritage Site that also includes the passage tombs of Knowth and Dowth, as well as other henges, burial mounds and standing stones.

Hill of Tara Former royal site and archaeological complex in County Meath, Ireland

The Hill of Tara is a hill and ancient ceremonial and burial site near Skryne in County Meath, Ireland. Tradition identifies the hill as the inauguration place and seat of the High Kings of Ireland; it also appears in Irish mythology. Tara consists of numerous monuments and earthworks—dating from the Neolithic to the Iron Age—including a passage tomb, burial mounds, round enclosures, a standing stone, and a ceremonial avenue. There is also a church and graveyard on the hill. Tara forms part of a larger ancient landscape and Tara itself is a protected national monument under the care of the Office of Public Works, an agency of the Irish Government.

Menhir Large upright standing stone

A menhir, standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large man-made upright stone, typically dating from the European middle Bronze Age. They can be found individually as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Menhirs' size can vary considerably, but often taper toward the top.

County Meath County in Ireland

County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Mid-East Region. It is named after the historic Kingdom of Meath. Meath County Council is the local authority for the county. At the 2016 census, the population of the county was 195,044. The county town of Meath is Navan. Other towns in the county include Trim, Kells, Laytown, Ashbourne, Dunboyne, Slane and Bettystown.

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Navan is the county town of County Meath, Republic of Ireland. In 2016, it had a population of 30,173, making it the tenth largest settlement in the Republic of Ireland. Navan is at the confluence of the River Boyne and Blackwater, around 50 km north west of Dublin. Its name is a palindrome.

Dowth

Dowth is a Neolithic passage tomb located in the Boyne Valley, County Meath, Ireland. It is one of the three principal tombs of the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site – a landscape of prehistoric monuments including the large passage-tombs of Dowth, Newgrange and Knowth. Unlike Newgrange and Knowth, Dowth has not been independently dated, but its features align it with the other passage tombs which date from between approximately 3200 and 2900 BC. However, Harbison (1970) dates the tomb at 2500 – 2000 BC. It is less developed as a tourist attraction than its neighbours, partly because the chamber is much lower, and partly because the decoration is less visible. It was partly excavated, in 1847 by the Royal Irish Academy who dynamited the roof causing the still visible crater, though it was pillaged by Vikings and earlier looters long before that.

Knowth Irish Neolithic site

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Brú na Bóinne Archaeological site in County Meath, Ireland

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References

  1. 1 2 Robin, Guillaume (14 November 2008). "Neolithic passage tomb art around the Irish Sea. Iconography and spatial organisation" (PDF). Thesis to obtain the degree of DOCTEUR DE L'UNIVERSITÉ DE NANTES Discipline: Archaeology.
  2. Ireland, Royal Society of Antiquaries of (1 January 1974). "The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland". The Society via Google Books.
  3. "Navan Historical Society - Ardmulchan".
  4. "ME01147 - ARDMULCHAN - Megalithic tomb - passage tomb". MeathHeritage.com. 6 December 2012.