NEWGRANGE

NEW GRANGE

This is not the only passage tomb, but one of many built in Western Europe (France, Netherlands). There are 37 satellite ones here in Ireland with this one being the largest and two more smaller to be a total of 40.

These were from the Neolithics who were farmers first. They studied the sky, time, used wood, stone, bone and their life expectancy was 34 years. There are 97 base stones and 450 inside the tomb. It was built about 3200BC. That was proved by carbon ring which isn’t entirely accurate with calendar years. Anyway it was very interesting.

The large rocks around the base weigh 10 tons each, so without horses, because they haven’t come yet to Ireland or Europe, and only the waterways to take the stones, no wonder they died so early. There is a white quartz that had fallen down in the front of the mound that is found 80 kilometers from here.

The mounds are all aligned according to rising and setting of the sun. The one we are in is aligned with the sun at it’s shortest time, Dec. 21^st. The light shines in through the roof box at 8:45am and lasts until 9:15am.  The other one Douth is aligned with the mid equinox. The other mound is aligned with the longest day in June.

The mound had been covered over with dirt, grass and trees and was discovered in 1699. For 200 years people were going in the mound and removing artifacts from the mound,. They included human bones, beads ect. In 1881 under the protection of the government the mound was monitored so no one could remove anything from it. 1962 began the 13 year excavation. The mounds are 500 years older than the pyramids. O’Kelly and his wife were the chief excavators. He was also an engineer so he was able to restore the opening as best he could based on previous history. They have beautiful art work inside the mound.

The thought is that when people died their bodies were cremated outside and the ashes and bones burned and not burned were carried inside and perhaps when the light shown in the mound the light would show the spirits the way to the spirit world. After this time the bones and ashes were carried outside. No one knows obviously.

View from the top of the mound to surrounding areas.

They have a lottery if you want to be at the mound on Dec. 21^st. The light does enter in on the 18-20, 21 and one day beyond. They have already done the lottery for this year and are working on next year. They turned on the light inside to mimick what it will look like on Dec. 21^st. That was enough for me.