Newgrange & Knowth Ireland
June 29, 2002
 This is a tunnel inside the neolithic tomb at Knowth. We weren't allowed down this tunnel though because the spaces were so tight they didn't want someone panicking. |
 The pre-historic people were farmers and they stacked rocks up like this until the rocks were close enough to each other to make a roof. The people made rooms for tombs and then covered it with dirt to leave large mounds in the area. |
 It is amazing how tightly sealed these tombs are. Even after all this time there is no evidence of rain seeping in - even in this rainy climate. |
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 You can kind of see the carvings on this rock. |
 More carvings. These rocks are not indiginous to this area, so they had to be brought a great distance to be placed here. |
 Here is one of the smaller tombs around the larger tomb at Knowth. The tombs are oriented to the sun so light shines in the hole during either winter or summer solstice. |
 This gives you an idea of the smaller tombs around the large tomb. |
 Here Gary and I are near Knowth. Some guys from New Mexico took our picture. |
 This is the back side of Knowth. |
 Here is an overall picture of the main tomb at Knowth. People were mostly cremated and then placed in a cerimonial bowl inside the tomb. |
 Here is Newgrange. The white walls are quartz. They are the original rock, but the exterior wall has been rebuilt. The enterior has been untouched, but you aren't allowed to photograph. It looked much like Knowth did on the inside. |
 Here is the main entrance to Newgrange. Notice the window above the door. That is where the sun comes in for 17 minutes for the 5 days around winter solstice. |
 This is a close-up of the stone see in front of the main entrance to Newgrange. |
 Close-up of the quartz rock on the sides of the tomb. |
 View near the tombs. |
