Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Megalithic tomb - passage tomb
Knowth, County Meath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Knowth
- County
- Meath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.70137, -6.49244
- SMR number
- ME019-030009-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Knowth cemetery, Tomb 9:Located c. 20m NW of the great mound, Tomb 1C.This is the remains of a mound(surviving dims 11.9m N-S; 10.8m E-W; max. H 0.4m) of redeposited boulder clay with some overlying shale, but there are no surviving kerbstones. There are 28 orthostat sockets representing a cruciform passage tomb (total L 6.8m plus) opening to the E. There was at least one sillstone between the passage and chamber (int. dims c. 4m x 3.8m) and the old ground surface survived within the kerb. There were two cremation deposits in the end recess representing four adults and two juveniles, but the remains of two unburned juveniles were also present (Buckley et al. 2017, 308-10). Five sherds of Beaker pottery and 15 flints were recovered, mostly from disturbed contexts. A fireplace pre-dating the tomb produced two sherds of Carrowkeel ware. An extended inhumation dating from the first millennium AD was inserted into the N recess (Eogan 2012, 52-3).Two radiocarbon dates of 3083–2903 cal. BC and 3332–2910 cal. BC are reasonably in agreement (Schulting et al. 2017, 354). The mound is partially reconstructed and the open chamber is marked with concrete posts. (Eogan 1984, 53-8, Site 9; 1986, 69-70)
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
Amended: 16 September 2020
See the attached plans:
_1 Cemetery plan from Knowth 6, Fig. 2:1
_2 Tomb plan from Knowth 1, Fig. 28
References
Schulting, R., Bronk Ramsey, C., Reider, P, Eogan, G., Cleary, K., Cooney, G. and A. Sheridan 2017 Dating the Human Remains at Knowth, in Eogan 2017, 331-85.
Eogan, G. 2012 Excavations at Knowth 5: the archaeology of Knowth in the first and second millennia AD. Dublin. Royal Irish Academy.
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.
Nearby in the register
- Megalithic tomb - passage tombunder 1 mi
- Slab-lined burialunder 1 mi
- House - Neolithicunder 1 mi
- Megalithic tomb - passage tombunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.