The Megalithic Art of the Passage Tombs at Knowth, Co. Meath

Description of Kerbstone 5

In the center there is a clockwise spiral of six turns, with an outer arc at the bottom. The spiral is flanked on each side by C-shaped motifs/gapped circles, opening against the spiral. Each encloses a long oval/rectangular motif. The C-motif on the right is the more complex, with an outer C enclosing two sets of double closed Cs. The C-motif on the left is simply doubled. A gapped double circle is squeezed low down between this and the spiral.

At the top-right of the stone there is a row of seven small circles; that on the right is picked on a flaked surface. At the top-left corner of the stone there is a small U and a gapped circle. The main tool used on this face had a small-to medium-sized, rounded point, but in some cases a chisel with a narrow cutting edge was also used. In some cases the pickmarks merge to form a ribbon. Some dispersed marks on the top and the right half of the main face may be natural.

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The crescent represents the moon, Kerbstones K5 (NE6) shows how the crescents measures time. A set of 6 circles (6 months of the year?) extend across the right half of K5 (NE6) from above the centre of a spiral with 6 turnings. The circle and crescent (far left) also suggest the moon. The Stones of Time p137


Knowth is a Stone Age Passage Tomb in the Boyne Valley in Ireland's Ancient East and together with Newgrange and Dowth are the principal sites of Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site. Knowth is the largest passage tomb of the Brú na Bóinne complex. The main mound is about 12 metres (40 ft) high and 67 metres (220 ft) in diameter covering about 1 hectare (2.5 acres). It contains two passages placed along an east-west line and was originally encircled by 127 kerbstones of which 124 are still in place.

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