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

Description of Kerbstone 86

A set of four boxed lozenges is incised in the lower-left quadrant of the stone. This is not directly overlaid by the picked motifs, but the incised lines are interrupted by some dispersed pickmarks, so it seems likely that the picked motifs were applied at a later stage than the incised motifs. The picked carvings on this stone are very distinctive, and comprise four large, symmetrically placed crescent or C-shaped motifs.

They are separated by a horizontal line, which has a small dot at each end. A dot is also placed just above and below the line, between the C motifs. The two upper Cs are picked with a medium-sized, rounded point, and they are weathered along the top of the stone. The picking of part of the horizontal line and of the lower Cs is very closely set, making a continuous ribbon. A slightly narrower picked line frames the Cs but is missing at the top-left where the stone is fractured, and along the top where it may have been lost through weathering.

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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.

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

Excavations at Knowth Volume 7: The Megalithic Art of the Passage Tombs at Knowth, Co. Meath

The complex of passage tombs at Knowth is dated c. 3200-2900 BC, and this volume deals with one of the most significant aspects of the site. It presents a complete catalogue of the 390 recorded carved stones at Knowth, through descriptions, drawings and photographs.

Six main styles of art have been identified and these are discussed, together with the motifs and techniques employed. The Knowth carvings constitute c. 46% of all such art in Ireland, and the volume sets the Knowth art in the context of the other Irish carvings, those in western and northern Britain, and also the somewhat earlier art found on megalithic tombs in Atlantic Europe.

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