decorated stones

7/30/2019 Decorated Stones

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Decorated stones, Cairn U, Carnbane East

The highly decorated, but exposed, surface of stone 14 at Cairn U, beside Cairn T at the summit of Carnbane EastCairn U has a circumference of 48.2 metres, and the passage is oriented to 108 degrees (18 degrees south of easpassage and chamber of Cairn U is shown above right. Its plan is similar to that of Cairn L.

Stone 8 is also impressive, but worn by the weather. The dotinside the circle, which is present in the centre of the concentricpart-circles towards the top right of the stone, represents the sun,according toBrennan.This symbol for the sun persists to this dayin astronomy. This cairn, like many of those at Loughcrew,appears not to have had a roof. The passage is extremely narrow,and its orientation does not seem to be toward any sunrise ofcalendrical significance, according to Jean McMann'smeasuremens, but some believe the passage to be oriented onSamhain and Imbolc sunrises(Nov/Feb Cross Quarter Day).I

have notobserved thisevent yet!

Brennan saysCairn U "issynchronizedwith Cairn L to indicate the cross-quarter days on 8 November marking the beginning of winter and spring." Another small caiindicates cross-quarter days on 6 May and 8 August, marking tSummer and Autumn. Imagery on the back stone of Cairn U mrising sun, according to Brennan.
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Click on the image on right to see a larger version. Much of the art at Loughcrew is exposed to the elements, and tdifficult to see except under special lighting conditions.

On the right is a zig-zag pattern along the top ofstone 14 at Cairn U. Stone 14 is located in theright-hand recess (northern recess) of the chamber.These zigzag patterns may well have been somesort of astronomical counting device. Sometheories link the megalithic zigzags with a river,perhaps the Milky Way, the river of the sky. Cairn Uis located immediately adjacent to the famousCairnT.The cairns are lettered, seemingly from west toeast. On Carnbane East are Cairns R1, R2, S, T,U, V and W.Click hereto see another photo of thiszigzag pattern, lit by flash. See theold versionofthis page.

Autumn Equinox at Loughcrew, September 2005
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A crowd begins to gather at Cairn T before the time of sunrise. Dark clouds are an ominous sign . . .

This huge carved stone at the foot of Cairn T is known as the Hag's Chair.


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Shadowy figures: Enduring a stiff southerly breeze, enthusiasts examine some of the stones at Loughcrew.

Stones in the grass . . . the remains of a small cairn, Site W, almost forgotten by time.


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Yours truly, watching for any sign of a break in the clouds. 5.30am starts don't go down well when the

sun doesn't make an appearance. My thanks to Richard Moore for releasing the shutter!

See more about Loughcrew here

Excavation (and part destruction) of Dowth in 1849

An "excavation" of Dowth was carried out by the Royal Irish Academy in 1849. However, this excavationwas, in effect, a plundering expedition which caused extensive damage to the prehistoric site. Explosiveswere even used to blast away some of the cairn material. The roofslabs of thenorthern passagewere lifted,

while the ceiling ofDowth Southwas blown off. There is ahuge craterin the top of the mound as a result ofthis "excavation". The following commentary was published in the Drogheda Conservative newspaper onJuly 5th, 1856, and points out the unbelievable damage done by the RIA during their work at Dowth.
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The land-marks of Irish historywhich give us a glimpse of thesublime days that are over arefast fading from theantiquarian's view. Thesculptured cross, whichwithstood the winter tempestsof twelve hundred years, isbroken or placed as aheadstone over somepeasant's grave.

The Clogtheach andMonastery are falling intoshapeless masses, which afew pounds would haverepaired; the Anglo NormanKeeps, and strongholds of ourChieftains share the samefate. With regret we must utterthe words of Davis- "Who canlook upon our shatteredmonuments of Jerpoint andMellifont, and not think that adouble barbarism, (that of thepeople and that of theiroppressors) has been uponIreland?

A veil of red cloud over the mound of Dowth at sunset. From this angle, looking from theeast, Dowth looks relatively intact. From the western side, extensive damage is evident.

But what is our astonishment, when we see far dearer remains than even these torn, atom by atom,assunder by the committee of Antiquities of the Royal Irish Academy; the men we would have supposed,particularly bound to preserve Irish relics. Let us go to that picturesque valley, which we have no hesitationin saying, since the light which has recently been thrown upon Irish history, is the resting ground of Duagda,where by far the most extensive and celebrated of all Irish cemeteries stands; that denominated Brugh naBoinne, and there see what the preservers of antiquities have done, on that delightful spot called Netterville,beneath which the Boyne rolls sluggishly winding like a vast serpent, kissing listlessly, a beautiful enamelledmargin; there, some years ago, stood quite perfect the ponderous cairn of the Tuatha Danann Kings (DowthMoat), but we find that beatiful tumulus literally torn to pieces. Its stones barrowed out as if it were tofacilitate the dissoluting propensities of road contractors.

Netterville Manor, the former home of the "trustees of the Netterville bequest" near Dowth.


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This sepulchre of Boadan, the shepherd of Elcmar over Dubhad (Dowth) was rifled by the plunderingNorthmen A.D., 862. But the barbarian followers of Amlaff Imar, and Amsle although they rifled yet forboredestroying that pyramidal landmark of history and civilization, which the refined antiquarians of thenineteenth century ruthlessly pulled down.

It is quite evident that this examination, and excavation, and despollation, was caused by mere curiosity; forwho that is a lover of Ireland's antiquities would leave Dowth Moat as it now stands, after getting permissionto excavate and upset it. I am informed by good authority, that the trustees of the Netterville bequest, whenthey permitted the works to be carried on, were under the impression that the stones which *o*med thisinteresting mound would be replaced in their original position, and that if they expected it would have beenleft in the disgraceful position it now stands in, they would never have allowed the Dublin antiquarians todisturb it.

There is a legend told of an old piper, who entered this vast monument about a century ago, with a party ofyoung men and women, on an exploring excursion. I suppose "Darby the Blast" was a bit of a virtuoso. Well,'twas a fine summer's morning in the month of July, and Darby entered first playing his most sprightly tune,"the humours of Glynn" with variations. But poor Darby and his friends were doomed never to return, but thepeople heard from them, for the old piper was heard busily playing under ground at Stanleon, a hill on the

opposite side of the river.- Probably that was Darby's last tune, for from that day to this he has never beenheard of.

The traveller must think what a pity it was that the demolishers of this great catacomb did not at their firstexamination when they entered its Kistvaens, share the fate of Darby and his companions. It is to beregretted that a society which has done so much good with the miserable pittance of 300 a year fromGovernment, in collecting and preserving interesting national antiquities and filling the museum with choicecollections, should be the destroyer of a gigantic relic of druidical times, a monument of our old nationalitywhich speaks of power, arts and religion.

The crater left by the 1849 excavation is shown in the top of the mound in this aerial image.

It is not surprising that an Englishman, who a few years ago purchased an estate contiguous to this mound,destroying some of the colossean stones, one of which stood sixteen feet high forming a circle at Cloglea;the supposed remains of a greater pyramid than that at Newgrange, when he had such an example beforehim, as the ruins of Dowth Moat.-

While the governments of the continent of Europe watched over their antiquities, the relics of Ireland's pastgreatness were forgotten by its government though princely sums were granted to English museums.


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Unfortunately the Irish are engrossed so much with political and religious controversy, that they used toexertion to preserve their antiquities.

The Catholic clergy were long the only guardians which such relics had. An O'Halloran, a Walker, and aVallencey, called attention and awoke a veneration for the remains of ancient Ireland and shed a dim lightupon past science, learning, piety and religion; but it was reserved for a Petrie, and others, to diffuse that

light in all its clearness and splendour - that brilliance, which it has now attained.

We hope, with the warmest feelings and sympathy, for old Ireland, that such men will rescue this evidenceof our former greatness from destruction. It is a debt not only due to the trustees of the late eccentric LordNetterville but to the men of Ireland.

There may be an excuse alleged that the funds of the Academy were not sufficient to enable the society toreplace the Tumulus as it formerly stood, but those who love Ireland feel that they never should havedisturbed a single stone until they were able to replace it in its former position.

PAGES OF INTEREST

Winter sunsets:the Winter Solstice event at Dowth as recorded by Anne-Marie Moroney.

Inside Dowth:Dowth'ssouthernandnorthernpassages explored.

Dowth: Winter Sunsets, by Anne-Marie Moroney

Dowth, possibly the oldest of the three major tumuli in the Bend of theBoyne in county Meath, Ireland, shares a special solar celebrationwith neighbouringNewgrangeduring the winter solstice.

From November to February the rays of the evening sun reach intothe passsage and then the chamber ofDowth South. During thewinter solstice the light of the low sun moves along the left side of the

passage, then into the circular chamber, where three stones are lit upby the sun.

The convex central stone reflects the sunlight in to a dark recess,lighting up the decorated stones there. The rays then recede slowlyalong the right side of the passage and after about two hours the sunwithdraws from Dowth South.
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The book gives a general description of theDowth tumulus, celebrates the sunrise at themound and then concentrates on the midwintersunset in the souther passage.

Dowth, Winter Sunsets is richly illustrated with

original photography and drawings by theauthor.

The photo (left) shows the front of kerbstone 51in the early morning sun in February 1998.

Early afternoon sun beginning toshine on the stones on the left sideof the passage. Early January 1998.

Sunbeam on the left side of thesouthern passage, on the sillstoneand on the floor of the chamber.January 1998.

Winter afternoon sun in thepassage, on the sillstone and in thechamber of Dowth South. January1998.

(Above): A sunbeam pouring intothe passage and chamber in theearly afternoon, January 1998.(Above right): Sunlight viewedfrom the floor of the circular


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chamber. Picture taken after 3pmin Jan/Feb 2000. (Right): A broadsunbeam reaching along the floorof the chamber towards the baseof C7, mid-January 1999.

Dowth South - Chamberstone 7 and the floor of thecircular chamber illuminated by an afternoonsunbeam in Jan/Feb 1998.

Dowth South - On a mid afternoon in February 1998the sun retreats along the right side of the passageat Dowth.

DOWTH, Winter Sunsets, by Anne-Marie Moroney, Flax Mill Publications, Drogheda,Ireland. ISBN 0-9533822-3-0, (1999, reprinted 2000).

The book is available from: Anne-Marie Moroney, Kiplings, Begrath, Tullyallen, Drogheda,Co. Louth , Ireland. Email:[email protected]: 5.00 + 1.00 for p&p.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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(Above Left): Drawings on the back ofKerbstone 51at Dowth. This stone is wedge-shaped.The photo was taken on a spring afternoon in natural light. (Above right): The entrance to thepassage and chamber ofDowth South, taken shortly after sunrise in mid December 1998.

Pictures from Dowth's solstice-aligned southern passage

There are two known passages at the Dowth mound - both of which are located on the western sideof the site. The short passage and circular chamber of Dowth south are stark in contrast to the long,narrow cruciform passages ofNewgrangeandKnowth.

But the southernmost passage at Dowth shares a common purpose with the Newgrange andKnowth passages - it also marks a significant astronomical and calendrical event. Every year at theWinter Solstice, the rising sun penetrates the long winding passageway atNewgrangeand
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illuminates the floor of the central chamber.

On the evening of the same day,Winter Solstice, the chamber of Dowth south is beautifullyilluminated by the setting sun. Mythical Ireland has had rare opportunities to gain access to theinterior of Dowth south and photograph this remarkable astronomical clock, still working 5,000 yearsafter its construction.

GLOW OF SUNLIGHT

A striking feature of Dowth'ssouthern chamber is itscircular shape, and its singlerecess. PassagesatNewgrangeandKnowtheastare cruciform, as is thenorthern passage here atDowth. The circular planbrings to mindFourknocks, buteven this site retains acruciform shape with its three

recesses. The photo on leftshows the chamberilluminated by natural lightfrom outside.

FINE ART

There is plenty ofdecoration in DowthSouth, most notably onthree of the chamberstones and in therecess. It is thesechamber stones, and thecentral one in particular,which receive the beamof sunlight during thetime ofWinter Solstice.During an 'exploration' ofDowth in 1847 by theRoyal Irish Academy, aquantity of bones werefound in the chamber,'mixed with the clay anddust which hadaccumulated' accordingto George Coffey (1912).
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LIGHT IN THE DARK

Dowth south's single recess, located atright angles to the passage, seemsstrange at first. But it actually has avery unique significance to the Winter

Solstice illumination.

Normally the recess is pitch dark, andone needs a torch to see anythingwhile inside. But around the time ofWinter Solstice, when the sunlightpenetrates the passage into the mainchamber, an amazing event occurs,which eyewitnesses have claimed wasintentional on the part of the builders.

As the sunlight strikes the centralchamber stones and bathes the whole

scene in warm light, the glow isreflected into the recess, and itbecomes noticably bright. Brightenough, in fact, for the carvings on theright-hand recess stone to be seenquite clearly.

ASTRONOMICAL IMAGERY

The recess carvings are shown in thetop two photographs on the left. Thetop photo shows a series of circles,along with a large double concentric

circle as well as a medium-sized spiral,which are carved along the top of theface of this stone (C12). The middlephoto shows a stellar symbol, or a'sunwheel', along with a leaf pattern.These appear on the bottom part of thestone, and the whole surface aroundthese carvings has been heavilypicked, as the photo shows.

The sunwheel brings to mind thepatterns onKerbstone 51, the 'Stone ofthe Seven Suns'.

The last photo in the above sequence shows some engravings in the lintel stone above the recessentrance. George Coffey, in a visit to Dowth in the autumn of 1896, discovered these markings andsaid they were a 'typical example of the ship-figure so frequently found on rock surfaces inScandinavia'. Although the photo does not show the full extent of the carvings, part of which arecovered by a more modern electric light fitting!!, many have contested that this design, along withone at Newgrange, do not resemble a ship plan at all.
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Cup marks on a stone in therecess at Dowth South. Thisstone (C10) faces C12 whichcontains the beautiful sunwheel

and other art shown above.

A general view of the recess of Dowth South. Stones shown are

C10 (left), C11 (straight ahead at end of recess) and C12 (right).Similar pages:

Dowth North- this passage, with its astronomical symbolism, may have beenaligned on cross-quarter day sunsets.Knowth West- spectacularly decorated passage.Knowth equinox- photos of sunlight entering Knowth West.Solstice Light- Winter Solstice sunrise, photos from inside Newgrange.

Inside Dowth North - The oldest cruciform passage

THE EERIE DARKNESS

The chamber of Dowth North is aneerie place to be. Hidden fromdaylight, and sunken into the ground, itis cold, dark and claustrophobic. Themodern electrical lights do not work,the chamber is currently onlyaccessible through a 70-footsouterrain, and the passage orthostatslean together such that when you walkup the passage, you have to squeezethrough the stones. It's a strange

experience, to say the least. ButDowth North could be the oldestcruciform passage in the Brugh naBinne area, so it is well worth a visit.

When he visited Dowth in the late 1890s, antiquarian George Coffey said the construction of thischamber was somewhat similar to Newgrange, but in the case of Dowth North, 'the roofing-flags arenot corbelled, and, in general, less architectural enterprise is shown.' The plan of the chamber, as atNewgrange, is cruciform, but smaller, measuring 11 feet high, and about nine feet in diameter.
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The passageis 27 feet long,and theentrance hasbeenreconstructed

in moremodern times,so it isimpossible tosay what theoriginal lengthof the passagewas. It mayhave beenroughly twiceits currentlength, giventhe fact that

the kerb ofstones on thisside of theDowth moundis located inthe next field.

The entrance to the Neolithic passage.

OLD PASSAGE, NEWPASSAGE!

There are structures atDowth North, which arejoined together, but which areseparated in date ofconstruction byapproximately 4,000 years.The Neolithic passage andchamber seem to be older indate than Newgrange, andpossibly Knowth, due to thefact that the passage atNewgrange is moreadvanced, with waterdrainage techniquesincorporated into its roofstructure which were not

found at Knowth.

But the souterrain, which is a'microlithic' construction ofmuch smaller stones,probably dates to the latterpart of the first century AD,and was built into the moundat Dowth, with its entrance


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A view of the passage at Dowth north, looking out from the

chamber.

located some 25 metres or sofrom its terminus near theearlier neolithic passage. Aplan of the souterrain isshown below.

ASTRONOMICAL SYMBOLISM

The interior of Dowth North seems to carryon theastronomical themepresent on someof the great kerbstones outside the mound.The chamberstone C7 is particularly welldecorated, featuring a number of stellarsymbols, concentric circles, a small spiral,linear markings and other features such assmall inverted V shapes.

Martin Brennanhad suggested that DowthNorth may have been oriented towardssunset on the February and Novembercross-quarter days, but evidence from

surveying carried out by archaeologists
http://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/candlelight.htmlhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/candlelight.htmlhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/candlelight.htmlhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0892815094/mythicalirelandhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0892815094/mythicalirelandhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0892815094/mythicalirelandhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/candlelight.html


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confirms that this passage was, quiteprobably, aligned on the Minor Standstillsetting Moon back in the Neolithic. Seethispagefor more details.

The astronomical theme was also picked up

by George Coffey a century ago. Coffeynoticed that many of the star/sun symbols atDowth were repeated at Newgrange andLoughcrew. His drawing of some examplesis shown below. It's a pity he could not havelived to see the great lunar symbolism sowidespread on the stones atKnowth.

A star symbol (top) and large basin (above).

THE ART OF ANCIENT DECORATION

Although Dowth North does not have thesame amount of art as the passagesatKnowth, there are still a number of stones

which are decorated. The most noticable ofthese is the spectacularly decoratedchamberstone, C19, which is decorated withspirals, serpentine shapes, circles and otherfeatures, and features designs on both itsfront face, and its side face.

George Coffey's drawings of this stone arepresented below, along with his drawings ofthe various examples of art, including the starsymbols, on chamberstone C7.
http://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/dowthnorth2.htmlhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/dowthnorth2.htmlhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/dowthnorth2.htmlhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/dowthnorth2.htmlhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/knowth/calendarstone.htmlhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/knowth/calendarstone.htmlhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/knowth/calendarstone.htmlhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/knowth/knowthwest.htmlhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/knowth/knowthwest.htmlhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/knowth/knowthwest.htmlhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/knowth/knowthwest.htmlhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/knowth/calendarstone.htmlhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/dowthnorth2.htmlhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/dowthnorth2.html


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Coffey's drawings of chamberstones. The central drawing is of C19 (photographedabove).

Coffey's drawing of the art features on chamberstone 7. The central image is photographedabove.

Similar pages:
http://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/dowthnorth.html#c19http://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/dowthnorth.html#c19http://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/dowthnorth.html#c19http://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/dowthnorth.html#starhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/dowthnorth.html#starhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/dowthnorth.html#starhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/dowthnorth.html#starhttp://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/dowth/dowthnorth.html#c19

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