Stone Age - Newgrange

Other websites:

https://www.newgrange.com/

https://arthistoryleavingcert.com/pre-christian-ireland-2/newgrange/

https://www.slideshare.net/mollyflops/newgrange-5183763

The Stone Age

There are 3 Periods in the Stone Age.

Palaeolithic – Ancient or Old Stone Age (no evidence of people living in Ireland)

Mesolithic – Middle Stone Age (8000 BC – 4000 BC First people in Ireland)

Archaeologists have excavated sites that show the earliest known human settlements found in Ireland. One site is Mount Sandal, Co. Derry showing people of Mesolithic origin.

-They were known as hunter-gatherers

-They hunted wild boar and birds like duck and pigeon.

-They also fished around the coasts and in the rivers

-They gathered berries and hazelnuts

-They cooked their food on spits.

-They probably wore animal skins

-They were nomadic people – when the food ran out where they lived, they moved on to another place

-They lived near rivers, lakes or the coast

-Their houses were easily built – lights branches of trees set into the grounds and covered by skins, grass leaves or brushes tied together by animal hide or guts. In the centre of the house or hut was a fireplace.

Archaeologists found stone tools made from flint. Tiny pieces of flint are called ‘microliths’.

Bone and timber were also discovered which were used with flint to make arrowheads and saws.

Neolithic – New Stone Age (4000 BC – 2500 BC First farmers in Ireland)

Around 3500 BC Archaeologists began to notice important changes when excavating sites.

They found less pollen from trees and more from grass.  

They found pollen from wheat and barley.

They found bones from cattle, sheep and goats.

Gradually the stone age people developed from hunter-gatherers to become farmers.

Farming gave them a more regular supply of food.  It meant that they settled for longer on the land and built stronger houses.

Megalithic Tombs (large stone tombs)

The 3 different types of Tombs we study :

• Court Cairns
• Portal Dolmens
• Passage Graves  

 Court Cairn, Co. Sligo (largest one in Ireland) 
These tombs had an open area or court at the entrance. It is a multi-chambered tomb. It is believed these tombs had roofs.
Bodies were cremated before they were buried in the chamber part which was made of standing stones.

Images from: https://www.archaeology.ie/monument-of-the-month/archive/creevykeel-court-tomb-co-sligo
Image from Slideshare : https://www.slideshare.net/mollyflops/newgrange-5183763


 Portal Dolmen (Poulnabrone portal tomb County Clare)

These tombs had 3-7 large standing stones called portals and a large capstone was laid on top to make a roof for the tomb.

The cremated bodies were placed under the capstone and covered with a heap of smaller stones.

 Image from: http://www.ballybegvillage.com/poulnabrone.html

 Passage Grave - Newgrange 












Passage graves are complex Neolithic​ tombs which date back to 2500 BC. They consist of a narrow passage made of large stones which lead back to a chamber. 
Passage graves are mostly multi­chambered. This cause the passages to sometimes form a crucifix shape.


Drawing of Passage by MJ O Kelly


The worlds most renowned passage grave is Newgrange. 
​Located in Bru na Boinne​, County Meath​, it is the largest Neolithic monument in
Europe. The mound covering the tombs lies on a hill, meaning Newgrange ​is visible for miles around.  

The passage graves are older than stone­ henge and were even built before the pyramids of Eygpt. It was built by a farming community which resided near the Boyne River​ Valley, in around 3200BC.

When viewing Newgrange,​ first seen is a large circle of standing stones ​placed around the mound. These were placed later during the Bronze Age. Only 12 ​of these stones remain standing today but there were between 35/38 originally. They may have been placed there for astronomical reason or as a spiritual boundary. 

Surrounding the passage grave there are kerbstones lying flat. They are all richly decorated with Neolithic art and patterns. There are exactly 97 kerstones around the grave.




 The Roof Box 

Prof. O’Kelly excavated Newgrange and it took 13 years. During the Winter​ Solstice, O’Kelly spent the night in the tomb. At 4 minutes past sunrise he saw the rays of the sun enter through the roofbox and illuminate​the chamber for exactly 17 minutes. 

The people who built the tomb must have been skilled mathematicians, architects, astronomers and engineers, as this is difficult to accomplish. The sun rays said to represent a god coming into the tomb and taking their dead to the afterlife. The light is also thought to signify thebanishing of winter to make way for spring. 

The entrance to Newgrange is two­-tiered, with the roof­box above the entrance and back eight feet. The stones which line the passageway are called orthostats. The passage is 3 feet wide ​and 5 feet high​and 24 metres long​all together.

In this drawing you can see the path of the sunlight as the travels through the roofbox and down the long passage into the chamber – lighting up the basin stone. Drawing by OPW.

The roof of the chamber is corbelled vaulted.​ This means the stones overlap each other when stacked, resembling the underside of a staircase. The stones are also slanted with small grooves carved into them. This means that when rain comes down through the mound and drained off. This technique has worked for over 5000 years as the roof has never leaked.



Inside the chamber there are anti­ chambers in the North, West and East of the tomb. Basin​Stones were found which contained possessions of those who were buried there. One in the east, one in the west and two in the north. Bones and ashes were also found in these.



  Decoration:   

The entrance stone is found at the of front​ the tomb. It is one metre high and at the time it was built you would have to climb over it to gain access. 
There is an eye­ catching, elaborate design on the front of the stone. It is the most decorated stone at Newgrange. 

There a five spirals in total, three on the left in a triple spiral and two on the right in a double spiral. The design is not symmetrical. There are many lozenge shapes used and repeated arcs. The design all flows smoothly together. 

The designs were made with a stone chisel/sharp stone such as flint​, with parts left standing in relief. The grooves were created using a technique called 'Pick Dressing' and 'Incision' which means picked/carved out, then the grooves were rubbed smooth with sand, pebbles and water.




Artwork

The artwork at Newgrange is all abstract mainly consisting of symbols and shapes which the meanings of are unknown. The shapes include spirals, lozenge shapes, zig zags, chevrons, dot, loops and arcs. These symbols could perhaps be a primitive calendar, a map, religious meaning or an astronomical tool.






Neolthic Ireland Video:

Newgrange Video:

Newgrange - The Winter Solstice

Knowth (another passage grave at Bru Na Boinne)

Test yourself:

1. When did the Stone Age span from and to?​
   
   
2. Name two ways in which the Stone age people got their food.​
   
   
3. The Stone Age people were Nomadic. What does Nomadic mean?​
   
   
4. The stone age can be divided into 3 distinct eras. Name 2 of them.​
   
   
5. The stone age people were builders of tombs to worship/remember their dead. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   There are 3 different types of tombs. What are they?​
   
   
   
   
6. Name the 3 most famous of these tombs and the river near which the are found.​
   
   
7. Name 3 designs which can be found on the Entrance stone.​
   
   
   
   
8. The feature above the entrance of Newgrange which allows a light to shine directly 
   
   
   
   
   through it to light up the inner chambers once a year is called the .............?​
   
   
9. 
   
   What day of the year does this event occur?​
   
   
   
   
10. How many Kerbstones are there surrounding Newgrange?​
    
    
11. The entrance stone is 2 metres high and 3 metres long (True or False)​
    
    
12. Name the construction technique used to construct the inner chamber of Newgrange.​
    
    
13. The inner chambers in Newgrange are Cruciform. What does this mean?​
    
    
14. Name two ways in which the Stone age people ‘cut’ designs into their stone.​
    
    
15. What is a Chervron?​

   Leaving Cert Example Questions:   

(2015 H.L)

It can be argued that the most impressive early tombs in Ireland were passage graves.
Discuss this statement with reference to one named passage grave and two other types of named tombs from either the Mesolithic or Neolithic periods. 
In your answer describe and discuss their structure, decoration, and location.
and
Briefly discuss what you know about the people who built these tombs and their spiritual beliefs.
Illustrate your answer

(2017 - H.L)

There are many documented Stone Age tombs in Ireland that reveal a wealth of information about the lives of the people who built them. Discuss this statement with reference to two named stone tombs that you have studied. In your answer refer to the ​structure, function​ and location​ of each of the examples you have chosen.
​and
Briefly describe and discuss the motifs and stone working techniques used to ​decorate​ Stone Age tombs.Illustrate your answer.

(2014 O.L)

The site illustrated on the accompanying sheet is from the Neolithic period. 
Answer (a), (b) and (c).
(a) Name the site.
(b) Describe and discuss the site under the following headings:• location• structure• function.
(c) Sketch, describe and discuss the decoration on one of this site’s main features.
Illustrate your answer.

    Stone Age Essay Plan   

Paragraph 1: ​Introduction (approx. 100 words)
Discuss the people, where they came from, how they got food..etc 
Discuss ​mesolithic​ & megalithic meaning (give background to the period)

Paragraph 2:Burial Grave 1 :​ Portal Dolmen Discuss structure - single chamber - sketch & label.

Burial Grave 2:​ Court CairnDiscuss development structure- multi chamber - sketch & label.

Paragraph 3: ​Neolithic ​(100 words)
Discuss what this means - the changes : farming, settling..etc.
Passage Graves. What is a passage grave?
Location: ​Bru Na Boinne - Co, Meath. Newgrange, Knowth & Dowth.
Discuss in detail where they are - on the river- why? Were these people spiritual?

Paragraph​ ​4​: Newgrange: ​Structure​ :
SKETCH & label. (80words)
Discuss outside: Standing stones - ​when​ placed there, kerbstones, man-made mound..

Paragraph 5 & 6 ​Newgrange:​ Structure ​- (150words)
SKETCH 2 out of 3
Discuss Inside: Roofbox & Passage shape (birds eye view -cross), Corbelled vault roof

Paragraph 7:​ Newgrange:
SKETCH & label.
Decoration : Entrance Stone & Tools. 
- Discuss how they decorated and the designs they created

SKETCHES
(Sketches can be throughout the essay after a paragraph or at the end)

Sketches are worth 10/50 marks in some questions -they need to be ​accurate​ and​ labeled​!

● Every question asks :Period, Tomb Names, Structure, Location & Decoration Designs & Tools