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Newgrange

Newgrange. Newgrange is one of the finest examples of a PASSAGE GRAVE in the world. You need to be able to write about the following topic areas in detail in the exam. LOCATION STRUCTURE DECORATION FUNCTION . A Brief History. People have long been aware of Newgrange

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Newgrange

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  1. Newgrange

  2. Newgrange is one of the finest examples of a PASSAGE GRAVE in the world

  3. You need to be able to write about the following topic areas in detail in the exam

  4. LOCATION • STRUCTURE • DECORATION • FUNCTION

  5. A Brief History • People have long been aware of Newgrange • It was excavated in 1967 by Dr. Michael J. O’Kelly • Dr. O’Kelly tried to rebuild Newgrange to look as much as possible as it did when it was first built. • Newgrange probably dates back to 3000BC, making it around 5,000 years old!

  6. LOCATION • When you are discussing LOCATION you need to be able to write about: • GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION – INCLUDING DISTANCES • REASONS WHY THE NEOLITHIC PEOPLE CHOOSE THIS AREA

  7. LOCATION • Newgrange is situated in Co. Meath • It is part of a larger group of passage graves and the whole area is called the BOYNE VALLEY CEMETERY • There are three main passage graves here; NEWGRANGE, KNOWTH & DOWTH • These are surrounded by lots of smaller satellite tombs

  8. LOCATION • Newgrange was built on a high point, 61m above sea level • It is approx. 1m from the river Boyne and lies in the bend of the river. This means that the area is enclosed by 3 sides of the river • It is 14km from Drogheda, 50km from Dublin and 8km from Slane

  9. STRUCTURE When writing about STRUCTURE you need to be able to tell the following: • How it was built (techniques) • Materials used and where they came from • Dimensions of the exterior & interior of the passage grave

  10. EXTERIOR • FORM - Newgrange is a mound shaped passage grave • There is a wall of white quartz on the outside wall of the mound. • The mound is surrounded by kerbstones • There is a circle of monoliths (standing stones) at a distance of 15 metres or so away from the mound. • Originally there was probably 35 monoliths, but only 12 are now standing.

  11. INTERIOR • There is a doorway which leads into a passage. The passage leads to a chamber which has smaller side chambers • The chamber is cruciform – in that it has the three side chambers

  12. Dimensions Mound - Exterior • 79 – 85m in diameter • 13m high

  13. Passage • Passage only is 19m long • 22 standing stones on the left • 21 along the right • Many of these stones have been decorated and most are dressed. • Total length of the passage including the chamber is 24 metres (less than a third of the whole mound

  14. Chamber • 6m in height from floor to capstone • 5-6m in length

  15. CORBELLING • The roof of Newgrange was built using a technique called CORBELLING (TO CORBEL) • Corbelling is when stone slabs are placed on top of each other so that one rests partly on the roof slab beneath it but further out from it. The stones are placed in layers so they slowly create a dome or mound shape. The top stone is called the CAPSTONE

  16. This was a very successful technique, as because the corbels slope downwards, rain is drained away and the chamber is still dry inside having never leaked in 5,000 years

  17. Materials • Kerbstones are granite

  18. DECORATION • Newgrange has the earliest examples of Irish art • Some of the finest examples are on the kerbstones

  19. Kerbstones • There is a ring of 97 kerbstones surrounding the mound • Many of these are decorated, the most impressive being K1 and K52 • K1 and K52 are diametrically opposite each other

  20. Dimensions of the Kerbstones • 3 – 4 metres long • 1.2 metres high

  21. K1 • K1 is also called the ENTRANCE STONE. • It stands in front of the entrance to the passage grave

  22. K52

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