3200BCc. 3200 BC · Brú na Bóinne, County Meath

Newgrange and the Boyne Valley tombs

The white quartz-fronted passage tomb of Newgrange in County Meath — Photo: Stanley Howe. CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Neolithic farmers in the Boyne Valley built a great passage tomb faced with white quartz, its entrance stone carved with spirals and its roof-box placed so the midwinter sunrise lights the inner chamber. With Knowth and Dowth nearby, Brú na Bóinne holds a large share of western Europe's megalithic art and is older than the pyramids at Giza.

Archaeology
Religious & Pilgrimage
Dublin, Ireland

Sites

Site 1: NewgrangeRestored mound, carved entrance stone and the passage to the solstice chamber.Map ↗
Site 2: KnowthLarge mound ringed by smaller tombs and carved kerbstones.Map ↗
Site 3: Brú na Bóinne Visitor CentreExhibition and the only access point, with shuttle buses to the tombs.Map ↗