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 is Souterrain No. 7 associated with medieval house 15 and it is located just NE of the mound. It is poorly preserved with only 3 lintels in position. It consists of a Z-shaped passage (total L 21m) ending in an oval chamber (dims 2.5m x 2m), with a secondary entrance passage at one of the bends. From the house the passage extends NW (L 4.5m) where it turned NE (L 4m), curving slightly E. Then it turned sharply NW (L 4m), utilising kerbstones on the SW side of Tomb 15to form its NE side. The subsidiary passage (L 4m; Wth 0.7-1.35m) entered this section from the E between two of the kerbstones from the tomb. At the NW end of this section of the main passage it turned NE (L c. 4m) passing through the kerb of the passage tomb. However, little of the souterrain survives here apart from evidence of a small alcove on the SE side which is on the site of a displaced orthostat from the passage tomb. The final 2m of passage took a N course before dropping into the oval chamber (dims 2.5m x 2m). Four pits and some post-holes had been dug in the chamber floor, perhaps in an effort to support the roof. The souterrain had a primary fill (T c. 0.1m) but late material, including clay pipe fragments above this suggests that the final destruction was a later occurrence. The portions of this souterrain outside Tomb 15 have been conserved. (Eogan 2012, 87, 164-8)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

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

See the attached illustrations:
_1 Early medieval features, from Knowth 5, Fig. 4:1
_2 Souterrain plan, from Knowth 5, Fig. 4:50

References

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