UNESCO World Heritage SiteUNESCO Heritage
Ireland

Knowth

Neolithic passage-tomb complex, County Meath, Ireland

Location

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Historical Context

About

Knowth (; Irish: Cnóbha) is a prehistoric monument overlooking the River Boyne in County Meath, Ireland. It comprises a large passage tomb surrounded by 17 smaller tombs, built during the Neolithic era around 3200 BC. It contains the largest assemblage of megalithic art in Europe. Knowth is part of the Brú na Bóinne complex, a World Heritage Site that also includes the similar passage tombs of Newgrange and Dowth. After its initial period of use, Knowth gradually became a ruin, although the area continued to be a site of ritual activity in the Bronze Age. During the early Middle Ages, a royal residence was built on top of the great mound, which became the seat of the Kings of Knowth or Northern Brega. Archaeologist George Eogan led an extensive investigation of the site from the 1960s to 1980s, and parts of the monument were reconstructed.

Paleolithic
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Period
Post-Classical Period
Early Modern Period
Industrial Period
Contemporary Period
Temporal Epochs

Historical Timeline

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Norman motte use

12th century

State acquisition

1939

Brief 1941 excavation

1941

Major excavations begin

1962

Western passage entrance discovered

1967

Eastern passage entrance discovered

1968

Mound construction

c. 3200 BC

Classification

Archaeological Features

Unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site

category

Defensive Structures

Ditches
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Miscellaneous Features

Souterrains
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Burial and Funerary Structures

Passage TombsTombsGravesBurial Mounds
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Religious and Ritual Structures

Ceremonial Timber Circle
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Artistic and Decorative Features

Megalithic ArtPetroglyphsInscriptions
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Domestic and Habitation Structures

Palaces
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Environmental and Natural Features

Artificial Mound
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Astronomical and Timekeeping Structures

Stone Alignments
Knowledge Base

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Reference

Details

Country

Ireland

Coordinates

53.70° N, -6.49° E