Josepha Madigan, Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, said that the discoveries will “transform our understanding of Brú na Bóinne”.
Details of archaeological discoveries described as “stunning” and “remarkable” at the World Heritage Site of Brú na Bóinne at Newgrange have been released to mark the annual winter solstice.
In
an interim report released to coincide with the day when the rising sun illuminates the burial chamber of the Great Passage Tomb in Meath, the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has released further details of archaeological discoveries made at the World Heritage Site during the summer.
Thanks to the very dry summer experienced in Ireland this year, remarkable details of stunning archaeological monuments became visible for the first time as cropmarks in the parched fields of the River Boyne floodplain.
The discoveries made in July were followed by a remarkable discovery in Bray in August, when Garda Air Support Unit crew spotted that a fire on Bray Head had revealed
an “EIRE” sign dating from the Second World War.
The detail of these ancient monuments, the report says, was unprecedented, offering a rarely seen insight into prehistoric ritual and architecture.
Results of an analysis of aerial reconnaissance carried out following the initial discoveries in July, which received global attention at the time, details new information on the significant discoveries, informed by an analysis of high resolution aerial photography.
Aerial photograph showing the principal sites readily visible in the Cropmarks Field and the names applied to them throughout this report (Image via the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht)
The new information reinforces the remarkable level of ceremonial and ritual use of the landscape around Newgrange during the prehistoric period up to 5,000 years. Immense enclosures of timber uprights and large ceremonial henges have been identified on the floodplain in the shadow of Newgrange passage tomb. These monuments, visible only fleetingly as cropmarks during the dry summer, clearly form a deliberately structured and ritual landscape of great significance.
Commenting on the archaeological discoveries, Josepha Madigan said: “These remarkable archaeological discoveries are a significant reinforcement of the UNESCO World Heritage inscription and will transform our understanding of Brú na Bóinne.
"It is wonderful new knowledge for the OPW’s Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre, which is being redeveloped with the support of my Department and Fáilte Ireland which will let us tell the ancient story of this wonderful landscape to an international audience and help attract an increased numbers of tourists to the area, contributing to the local economy.
“These discoveries will inspire much interest and will attract further research and interpretation. My Department looks forward to working with the landowners and academic institutes and researchers in the years ahead on ensuring the secrets these sites still hold are revealed.”
The report, which includes images of the archaeological discoveries, can be read in full
here.
