Have you ever heard about Newgrange? Facts about Newgrange will give you information about the most famous prehistoric monument which is located in County Meath, Ireland. Newgrange is called as Síd in Broga and Brug Mac ind Óc anciently. Besides, it is also known as a passage tomb or passage grave. Newgrange is 600 years older than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt and 1,000 years older than the Stonehenge trilithons. It was because Newgrange was built around 3200 BC based on the most reliable Carbon 14 dating techniques. Here are ten interesting facts about Newgrange.
Facts about Newgrange 1: The Dagda and his son
Newgrange was built for a burial place, The Dagda Mór and his son named Aengus. Aengus is referred to as Aonghus of the Brugh. It is believed that the Brugh land was owned by him. Whereas his father, the Dagda was owner of a smaller mound between Newgrange and the Boyne.
Facts about Newgrange 2: Tourist destination
Newgrange is the most visited prehistoric monument and tourist destination in Irleand. Almost 200,000 people visited there each year. Unfortunately, the visitors are not allowed to take photos.
Newgrange
Facts about Newgrange 3: Work force
Approximately, there were around 300 of work force in the Newgrange construction. They needed almost 30 years to built it with 200,000 tons of material.
Facts about Newgrange 4: The material
Stone is the only material that available at the time. That’s why tools and weapons were also made by stone, even the Newgrange. It was proved by Clare O’Kelly, when she accompanied her husband in the excavations of Newgrange. There was no metal found in an Irish passage-grave.
Facts about Newgrange 5: The passage
Approximately, there are around 22 standing stones on the left side and 21 on the right side of the passage. The average height of them is around
1.5m with the tallest stones.
Facts about Newgrange 6: The chamber
In the chamber, there are three separate chamber with decoration. However, the most impressively decoration is the eastern chamber.
Facts about Newgrange 7: The kerb stones
As we know that the total kerb stones at Newgrange is about 97. The largest kerb stone is 4.5m and the smallest kerb stone is 1.7m long. Whereas the diameter is between 79m or 260ft and 85m or 280ft.
Facts about Newgrange 8: Megalithic Art
There are many categories of mehalithic art motif which are used to decorate the stone. These categories are circles, arcs, dot-in-circles, lozenges, parallel lines, spirals, serpentiforms, zigzags or chevrons, radials or star shapes, and offsets or comb-devices. However lozenge and zigzag are the most common categories of motif at Newgrange.
Stones with Megalithic art
Facts about Newgrange 9: The cause of the damage in Newgrange
The visitors were in part for the damage of Newgrange. They carved their names onto the stones while visited there. The graffiti even can still be seen in today’s life.
Facts about Newgrange 10: Winter solstice light in Newgrange
The light of the sun enters the passage and shines on the inner chamber on the Winter Solstice. However, it is only 17 minutes where the sunbeam illuminates the chamber.
Winter solstice light in Newgrange
We have talked facts about Newgrange. Do you know other facts about this amazing place? Let us know!
