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

Excavations at Knowth Volume 7: The Megalithic Art of the Passage Tombs at Knowth, Co. Meath

The complex of passage tombs at Knowth is dated c. 3200-2900 BC, and this volume deals with one of the most significant aspects of the site. It presents a complete catalogue of the 390 recorded carved stones at Knowth, through descriptions, drawings and photographs.

Six main styles of art have been identified and these are discussed, together with the motifs and techniques employed. The Knowth carvings constitute c. 46% of all such art in Ireland, and the volume sets the Knowth art in the context of the other Irish carvings, those in western and northern Britain, and also the somewhat earlier art found on megalithic tombs in Atlantic Europe.

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Reviews

Excavations at Knowth Volume 7: The Megalithic Art of the Passage Tombs at Knowth, Co. Meath.

Dr Stephen Davis (UCD), Irish Arts Review, Spring 2022

This substantial volume represents a fitting coda to almost sixty years of research led by Professor George Eogan and the culmination of over five decades of research on megalithic art by Dr Elizabeth Shee Twohig. There is plenty here for both the specialist and the amateur alike. This is an absolutely essential book for anyone with an interest in megalithic art and the European Neolithic, and comes highly recommended.

Sharon Greene (editor), Archaeology Ireland, Autumn 2022

This fabulous tome deals with one of the most famous aspects of the Great Mound at Knowth and its satellite tombs - the megalithic art found on their kerbstones and in their passage chambers. Though it comes at the end of a series of monographs, this book does not claim to be the final word on its subject. Rather, it is a valuable record of the subject material and research to date, a tribute to the individuals who have taken part in work at the site as well as on the publication, and a touchstone for future generations of researchers.

Ulster Archaeological Society, Spring 2022 Newsletter

This is a hugely important publication for our understanding of megalithic rock art and megalithic tombs. essential for anyone interested in megalithic tombs and Irish prehistory.

Excavations at Knowth Series

A major programme of archaeological excavation commenced on 18 June 1962 at the passage tomb cemetery at Knowth in the Boyne Valley. This research excavation continued on a seasonal basis for more than 40 years, resulting in the excavation of a considerable area of the monument complex. Knowth is a multi-period and multi-functional archaeological complex. It is part of the ancient Brú na Bóinne complex that also includes Dowth and Newgrange and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Knowth had a long, though not continuous, history of both ritual and settlement that spanned some six millennia, from the beginning of the Neolithic to the modern era. The monuments at Knowth represent not just local expressions of ideas and ritual practices spread over extensive geographical areas of western and northern Europe, but also some of the most impressive architectural and engineering developments.

Volume 1 was published in 1984, it dealt with aspects of prehistoric activity at Knowth.
Volume 2 reported on further aspects of the prehistoric settlement excavated after 1989.
Volume 3 dealt with the animal bone assemblage from Knowth.
Volume 4 explored the historical role of Knowth and wider Brú na Bóinne.
Volume 5 presented the artefacts found at Knowth from the first and second millennia AD.
Volume 6 dealt with the archaeological history of the achievements of the Knowth passage tomb builders who constructed and used the Great Mound (Tomb 1) at Knowth.
Volume 7 dealt with the megalithic art from Knowth.

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