Megalithic tomb - passage tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

Knowth cemetery, Tomb 14. Located 2-3m N of the great mound, Tomb 1C, and c. 2m E of Tomb 13. Prior to excavation stones on the surface suggested that its passage might have led to the main tomb of Tomb 1C, and the passage was excavated by R. A. S. Macalister (1943). This monument constitutes the remains of a kerbed mound(ext. diam. c. 13.2m) of boulder clay (max. H 0.6m) defined by a kerb of 20 surviving kerbstones that are absent NNW-E. A well-preserved passage tomb is divided by a sill stone into a passage (int. L 3.4m NNE-SSW; Wth 0.7-1.1m) of small orthostats (dims c. 0.3m x 0.6m) that is entered at SSW and a rectangular chamber (int. dims 1.67m x 1.6m) of larger stones (L 1.73-2.95m; H 0.9-1.78m). A roofstone of the chamber was displaced, and unburned bone from one adult was in the tomb, although cremated remains from the earlier excavation are not now traceable (Buckley et al. 2017, 310-11). Five stones from the tomb and three from the kerb have megalithic art. Orthostat 8 from the chamber is the most prolific with two large faces completely covered with motifs, although most are lightly picked doodles. Prominent motifs include a spiral, single and multiple circles both complete and incomplete, cupmarks, chevrons, lozenges, triangles, zigzags, and serpents. The motifs are more boldly executed on what is the outer face. The mound is completely reconstructed. (Eogan 1968, 305-09, Site 2; 1984, 80-9, Site 14; 1986, 79-80)

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. 41

References

Eogan, G. 1968 Excavations at Knowth, Co. Meath, 1962-1965. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 66C, No. 4, 299-400.

Buckley, L., Power, C., O’Sullivan, R. and H. Thakore 2017 Chapter III. The Human Remains. In Eogan 2017, 277-329.

Macalister, R.A.S. 1943 A preliminary Report on the excavation of Knowth. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 49C 131-66.

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

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