Newgrange

ancient history · ireland · archaeology · stone monuments

A Passage Tomb. Newgrange is a massive stone structure built around 3100 BC during the Neolithic Period. It contains a long narrow passage leading to a central chamber where people were buried thousands of years ago.

Older Than Famous Monuments. Newgrange was built before Stonehenge in England and before the Egyptian pyramids. This makes it one of the most ancient human-made structures still standing today.

Winter Solstice Magic. The passage tomb is designed so that sunlight shines directly into its inner chamber during the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. This shows the ancient builders understood the sun's movements.

Built From Stone. About 97,000 stones were used to construct Newgrange, including enormous boulders arranged in a spiral pattern. The whole monument was built without any metal tools.

Part of a Complex. Newgrange is the main monument in Brú na Bóinne, a World Heritage Site in County Meath, Ireland that includes other ancient tombs, burial mounds, and standing stones spread across the landscape.