Newgrange

Newgrange is a Neolithic passage tomb in County Meath, Ireland, built around 3200 BCE. At sunrise near the winter solstice, sunlight enters its roof-box and illuminates the inner chamber.

Winter solstice: The astronomical event when the Sun reaches its lowest or highest noon altitude in a yearly cycle. Newgrange’s passage aligns with sunrise around the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice.
Neolithic Ireland: The societies and material cultures of Ireland during the Neolithic period. Newgrange was built by farming communities in Neolithic Ireland.
Newgrange entrance stone: A large carved stone set before the entrance to Newgrange’s passage. Its spirals and other motifs make it one of the monument’s most recognizable stones.
Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site: A UNESCO World Heritage property protecting the prehistoric monuments and archaeological landscape of Brú na Bóinne. Newgrange’s international recognition and conservation are tied to this protected landscape.
Roof-box: An opening above a passage entrance that admits light into a structure. This opening admits the solstice sunrise above Newgrange’s main entrance.
Brú na Bóinne: A prehistoric ritual and funerary landscape along the River Boyne in County Meath, Ireland. Newgrange is one of the principal monuments in this Boyne Valley complex.
Newgrange kerbstones: Large stones forming a ring around the base of Newgrange’s mound. Several kerbstones bear carvings and frame the monument’s massive mound.
Heritage conservation: The practice of protecting and managing places valued for their historical, archaeological, or cultural significance. Conservation limits damage to Newgrange while balancing access to a vulnerable monument.
Passage tomb: A prehistoric burial monument with a passage leading to a chamber, often covered by a mound. Newgrange belongs to this monument type, whose passage leads into its central chamber.
Knowth: A large Neolithic passage tomb and ceremonial monument in the Brú na Bóinne complex. Knowth is Newgrange’s neighboring major tomb, with its own passages and extensive carved stones.

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