Mound

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on the floodplain on the N bank of a W-E section of the River Boyne, and at the centre of the Univallate Henge (ME019-094----). This was first identified through a LiDAR survey (Davis et al. 2010, 27-28, 180, LP2) as a low-profile mound (diam. 24.5m; max. H c. 0.2m), and a geophysical survey (Ibid. 101-112; Barton 2010b) revealed evidence of an internal excavated feature (dims 16m x 2m) aligned roughly NNE-SSW with splayed terminals, each 7m wide (Barton 2010b). It was suggested (Davis et. al. 2013, 231) that this might represent the remains of a passage tomb, but aerial photographs taken by the National Monuments Service in July 2018 (Condit and Keegan 2018, 36-43, Figs 32-35) suggest that it is a line (L 11.5m) of four large pits (diam. 2.2m) that probably held posts, with ditches (L c. 7m) at either end. The mound was defined by a narrow ditch.  

 

Compiled by: Michael Moore

References

Davis, S., Brady, C., Megarry, W. and Barton, K. 2013 Lidar survey in the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site. In R. Opitz and D. Cowley (eds) Interpreting Archaeological Topography: Lasers, 3D Data, Observation, Visualisation and Applications, 223-37. Oxford. Oxbow Books.

Davis, S., Megarry, W., Brady, C., Lewis, H., Cummins, T., Guinan, L., Turner, J., Gallagher, C., Brown, T. and Meehan, R. 2010 Boyne Valley Landscapes Project. Phase III Final Report 2010. The Heritage Council. https://eprints.dkit.ie/id/eprint/332/1/AR01047_Boyne_Valley_Final_Report_10.pdf 

Condit, T. and Keegan, M. 2018 Aerial investigation and mapping of the Newgrange landscape, Brú na Bóinne, Co. Meath. Interim Report. Available online

Barton, K. 2010b INSTAR: Boyne Valley Landscape Project, Phase III. Geophysical Survey of Site LP2, Newgrange, Co. Meath. Licence No. 10R0124. Unpublished report, Landscape and Geophysical Services