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, Tomb 1C. This is Souterrain 9, which was built into the NE-facing slope of the mound of Tomb 14. It was entered at W and has a short, well-preserved passage (L 3.2m; Wth0.65m; H 0.6-0.7m) with 5 lintels in place. The floor slopes down steeply (H 1m) to the floor of a beehive chamber (diam. 1.8m; H 1.3m) which had 2 capstones closing the roof. The passage and chamber were almost completely filled with a soft dark earth that would have percolated in. The base of the fill contained the bones of sheep and rabbits, and those of an unborn calf. (Eogan 2012, 168)

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: 52

References

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