One of the most amazing things in Ireland is nothing Celtic or modern but the neolithic tomb site at Newgrange, built around 3200 B.C. It is a huge tomb built by neolithic people that we know little else about.
Here you can see Shirley my sister-in-law, Sandy and Chris standing about 50 yards in fron the huge structure.
One of the most interesting things about Newgrange is that it is designed so that only at the winter solstice, sun comes in through the upper transom you see here and illuminates the inner chamber for a few minutes. That seems like remarkable scientific knowledge for stone age people in 3200 B.C.
Here in front of the tomb entrance is a lintel stone carved in mysterious spirals that no one knows what they mean, but that many people have guessed about. Inside the tomb there are many other carvings, including a triple spiral that shows up on a lot of the jewelry that they are trying to get people to buy all over Ireland. I guess it is supposed to give the jewelry buyers an idea that they are getting in touch with their ancient, pre-Stonehenge, pre-Pyramids ancestral shamanic selves.
Snarkiness about commercial exploitation aside, it is a pretty cool place.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Newgrange in Ireland
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2 comments:
Dad, unless Shirley grew a moustache, I don't think that's Shirley.
Rolf and his sharper, younger eyes is right. I cannot tell a lie. The person with the mustache seems to be me. Guess someone else took the picture.
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