Knowth Kerbstone K15

The megalithic art of the passage tombs at Knowth, Co. Meath

Description of Kerbstone 15

The dominant motif here is a semi-circle of twenty (one partial) picked lines radiating out from a small cupmark/dot. The radial lines widen outwards and all, except for two towards the left, terminate in a small rectangle. There are three extra rectangles towards the right. A larger square/rectangular motif is picked beyond each of the small rectangles, followed by another small rectangle. A second small cupmark is picked above the first. This is enclosed within a large oval motif, which is picked all over and is partially enclosed in an oval outer line which is doubled at the right.

At the upper-left of the oval there is a row of U-motifs, or possibly a small serpentiform, and a dot-and-circle. Beyond these, at the left of the stone, a row of circles curves outside the ends of the radial lines and two curved lines enclose the circles, to the left. To the right of the main face there is a large anti-clockwise spiral of seven turns. A number of motifs are arranged around the right side of the spiral. There are three small circles and an oval above it, and a series of single and double U-motifs to its right and below it. Further right is a small spiral with a series of zigzags above it, and a small, irregular circle above to the right. Below the spiral there are eight circles, one with a central dot.

Purchase at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. View or download at Digital Repository of Ireland.

Knowth Kerbstone 15 illuminated for the spectacular opening sequence of the RTÉ TV “Shine Your Light” winter solstice special which was broadcast on 20 December 2020. Projection mapping by Algorithm, photo by Ken Williams.

Knowth is a Stone Age passage tomb in the Boyne Valley in Ireland's Ancient East and, together with Newgrange and Dowth, it is one of the principal sites of the 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 its kerb defines an oval footprint measuring roughly 95 metres (312 ft) by 80 metres (262 ft), enclosing an area of about 0.6 hectares (1.5 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.