Megalithic tomb - passage tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

Knowth cemetery, Tomb 3. Located c. 2m S of the great mound, Tomb 1C, and the circuit of its kerb might have been within 2m of that of Tomb 2 at E. This is the remains of a kerbed mound (ext. diam. c. 11.25m) represented by 10 kerbstones WSW-N-E, but the S part of the kerb was destroyed by later ditches. The kerbstones were laid on the stripped ground with some packing stones, but only one has art in the form of three spirals and a circle, and this might have been re-used from Tomb 1A (Eogan and Cleary 2017, 68). Some evidence of a mound (max. H 0.4m) that was layered with sods, boulder clay and slate survived. There was no passage, but just E of the centre was the remains of a closed chamber (int. dims 3.5m NE-SW; 0.9m NW-SE) represented by sockets with only three orthostats or fragments in position. A single deposit of cremated bone representing one individual, probably an adult male, was towards the NE end. It was accompanied by a burnt antler pin with a domed head and decorated with grooves, and a flint flake. A sherd of Carrowkeel ware in the area was probably also part of the deposition. The single determination of 3624-3372 cal. BC is either from the earliest tomb in the complex or is contaminated from the pre-tomb surface, which is more likely (Shulting et al. 2017, 352-3). The tomb’s mound is partially reconstructed with the chamber open. (Eogan 1974, 41-9, site 12; 1984, 27-32, Site 3; 1986, 87-8)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 10 July 2007
Revised: 16 September 2020

See the attached plans:
_1 Cemetery plan, from Knowth 6, Fig. 2:1
_2 from Knowth 1, Fig. 12

References

Eogan, G. 1974 Report on the excavations of some passage graves, unprotected inhumation burials and a settlement site at Knowth, Co Meath. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 74C, 11 – 112.

Eogan, G. 1984 Excavations at Knowth 1. Dublin. Royal Irish Academy.

Eogan, G. 1986 Knowth and the passage-tombs of Ireland. London. Thames and Hudson.