The Megalithic Art of the Passage Tombs at Knowth, Co. Meath

Description of Kerbstone 75

A distinguishing feature of the carving on this stone is the presence of broad, ribbon-like lines, which is picked on many of the stone’s arrises; these lines continue over onto the flat surfaces to form motifs. The picking runs along the lower ridge of the stone, bifurcating at the left end, with one part running upwards to form part of a double spiral. To the right, it runs up to form a hook, then to another L-shaped hook, which connects with a hook running along a higher ridge.

To the right of the stone, picking along a ridge curves to the right and left and encloses a series of seven more finely picked and more weathered arcs opening to the upper left. In the upper part of the stone, there is another longer hook motif, again partly picked along a ridge, and above this are a series of short, angular designs; a square; a U-motif that opens upwards and encloses two gapped circles opening down; and a range of other small arcs and lines. The picking is done with medium-to-large, rounded points but towards the right-hand end in particular a chisel was used. In some places the pickmarks merge to form a continuous line.

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Knowth is a Stone Age Passage Tomb in the Boyne Valley in Ireland's Ancient East and together with Newgrange and Dowth are the principal sites of Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site. Knowth is the largest passage tomb of the Brú na Bóinne complex. The main mound is about 12 metres (40 ft) high and 67 metres (220 ft) in diameter covering about 1 hectare (2.5 acres). It contains two passages placed along an east-west line and was originally encircled by 127 kerbstones of which 124 are still in place.

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