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

Description of Kerbstone 89

The stone's surface is mostly uneven and cracked, but some areas are relatively smooth. There are ten circular motifs; however, parts of several of them are weathered, particularly at the top of the stone. At the left end of the stone is a motif with four concentric elements. To its upper-right is a set of three concentric circles, the inner complete and the two outer ones incomplete where they run against a natural depression.

Below this is a set of four concentric circles, with a similar set just to the right. Above this there are two small single circles, and above those a set of three, lightly picked, gapped circles. Lower down to the right is a set of three concentric circles, with an additional arc on the right side. To the lower-right there is another set of three, deeply picked, gapped circles. A set of three, shallow picked, concentric arcs near the top-right corner of the stone opens to the left onto a weathered area, and these may have been more extensive originally.

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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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