County: Meath Site name: Knowth
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: George Eogan, Department of Archaeology. University College Dublin
Site type: Megalithic tomb - passage tomb
Period/Dating: Neolithic (4000BC-2501 BC)
ITM: E 699429m, N 773517m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.701880, -6.494157
During the 1986 season work continued on the investigation of the Eastern Tomb in Site 1.
Passage
Continued excavation extending 30m in from the entrance has confirmed that the orthostats were erected in two parallel trenches each averaging 70cm in width and 30cm in depth. Some of the orthostats were inserted in sockets within these trenches and added stabilisation was provided throughout by packing stones placed either in the socket or in the trench itself. Particularly good examples were evident at orthostats 7, 8 and 9 'here in each case the outline of the socket was very well defined within the trench.
Prior to this year, excavations were not carried out in the inner part of the passage (i.e. between the outer sill stone and the chamber). The scatter of large stones on the surface here was more marked than in the outer part of the passage. These stones were apparently derived from the cairn and had intruded as a result of structural adjustments.
Removal of the stones revealed a layer of dark brown, charcoal-flecked earth averaging about 5cm in depth. Animal bones, some iron objects and a perforated bone bead dating to the Early Christian period were recovered from this material. A layer of small, flat, loosely-set stones underlying this earth also appears to be Early Christian in date but is unlikely to represent a laid-down surface. Large quantities of animal bones were found underneath the stones. Removal of the stones exposed a fairly even surface in which some small rounded pebbles were set quite deeply.
Chamber
Apart from recording additional artwork here, excavation of the burial deposits in the left (south) and right (north) recesses was completed. Evidence for the existence of sockets on the inside of some of the orthostats has also come to light.
Left recess
Previous excavation in this recess revealed that the burials occurred mainly in that portion on the inside of the sill stone. Further work here this season exposed a stone, firmly set in a pit, with three other stones wedged between it and the sill.
Burials
There were two stratigraphically distinct burial horizons:
Horizon 1: This is the earliest horizon and consisted of four cremation deposits laid on or in the old ground surface. None of the deposits yielded finds. Stones were placed over the deposits. In addition larger stones were placed around the edge of the inner recess segment particularly in the SW and SE corners. In general one course was represented but on the W edge of the central hollow the stones were built up to three or four courses, possibly to prop the basin here. No formal arrangement was adhered to though some of the stones sat on edge and voids forming slight hollows existed. It also appears that the stone basin was placed in position at this time as it lay directly on the old ground surface which was slightly hollowed and free from stones.
Horizon 2: This was a general blanket deposit of cremation, 3-15cm deep, and occurring all around the sides of the segment. It abutted directly on to orthostats 39-41 and the sill stone and surrounded the set stone. The lower parts of the deposit were contained in the ten hollows or voids in the stone spread. However, in view of the homogeneous nature of the deposit it could not be established if these were formal areas which had held individual deposits with the entire deposit accumulating over a period of time. The grave goods consisted of 2 pestle-hammer pendants, one of stone and the other of baked clay, parts of two mushroom-headed pins and fragments of five other pins.
Right recess
Continued excavations this year revealed that Deposit 2 extended down to the N end of orthostat 55 where it was delimited by a stone placed in the angle between orthostats 54 and 55. While cremation deposits were scattered over an area 30cm wide and 1.4m in length, there were four concentrations, one of which was in a slight scoop. The remainder of the spread lay on a sterile surface, apparently the old ground level.
In addition to the six deposits already excavated three further deposits came to light this year. All were in shallow scoops which penetrated the old ground surface in the outer part of the recess. The rite was cremation but the deposit was small, only a handful or so of bone, These burials were 'informal' with no grave goods present.
Megalithic art
The survey and recording of the artwork is now almost complete. About one hundred decorated stones have been recorded to date in the East Chamber and in addition the three basins here are also decorated, that in the right-hand recess being the most elaborate. With regard to technique, while picking predominates, it is interesting to note that incision was frequently used. In some cases it acts as a technique to form designs in their own right but it also acted as a guide-line for the formation of motifs.
Work this year has further confirmed that stones decorated in a particular style were deliberately placed in specific areas of the tomb. A key area was in the passage, 27m from the entrance, where, above a sill consisting of three transverse stones, was an elaboratechevron-decorated capstone (no. 43). Capstone no. 45 was set at a lower level and its outside lace had area picking. In this stretch of kerb, 5m in length, the orthostats on both sides of the passage were decorated in the rectilinear style.
A gap in decoration then occurred between this and the entrance to the chamber. Here the orthostats on both sides of the sill were decorated with area picking while the two capstones above were decorated with an angular chevron pattern.
Area picking must now be taken as forming a style in its own right. Its location in key positions - on the outer face of the 'low' passage capstone no. 45, on the orthostats on either side of the inner sill stone and in each of the three recesses - indicates that it had a prominent role to play in ritual and ceremony.
Click on the link below for the Royal Irish Academy's online resource for Knowth Excavations:
