Souterrain

The National Monuments Service's description

Nine souterrains have been recorded in excavation at the passage tomb complex. They are associated with the early medieval open settlement (ME019-030060-) and are placed largely on the sides and summit of the great mound. This souterrain is No. 4, the entrance to which is at the complex junction of souterrains outside the entrance to Tomb 1C East. From the entrance, which was dug into the fill of the lower ditch of the rath, a passage proceeds N (L c. 11m), curving a little to the W in the central roofed section (L c. 7.6m). There is an alcove (Wth 0.9m; H 0.7m; D 1.1m) in the E wall along this section. At the N end of this passage where it is barely evident it runs over the kerb of the great mound, Tomb 1C, and turns SE (L 3.1m; Wth 0.9m), ending in a circular chamber (diam. 2.5m) outside the great mound. Only the basal courses of stones survive N of the roofed section apart from a short section roofed by two lintels just W of the chamber. Although it begins close to the conjunction of the passage of Tomb 1C East with souterrains 2/3 this souterrain post-dates them both. The portion outside the mound of Tomb 1C is conserved. (Eogan 2012, 127-9)

True location: ITM (699652, 773458)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 06 November 2013
Amended: 17 September 2020

See attached illustrations:
_1 Early medieval features, from Knowth 5, Fig. 4:1`
_2 Souterrain plan, from Knowth 5, Fig. 4:27

References

Eogan, G. 2012 Excavations at Knowth 5: the archaeology of Knowth in the first and second millennia AD. Dublin. Royal Irish Academy.