LONG CHAMBER FOUND AT KNOWTH SITE
RECENTLY a team of Irish archaeologists, directed by Dr George Eogan, lecturer archaeology in UCD, discovered a chamber at the end of a long passageway, 105ft underneath the great mound of Knowth in the Valley of the Boyne, and last week-end Dr. Eogan revealed that two more satellite burials have come to light.
As yet partially excavated, these lie to the south-east of the main mound and are within the area purchased last year by the Board of Works.
The newly-found chambers which, it is understood, have been badly damaged by ploughing in previous centuries, have produced one more decorated stone.
The two new discoveries bring the total of satellite burials up to ten and this number, with tho possibility of several yet to be found, confirms the exceptional importance of Knowth in prehistoric times.
Considerable quantities of 12th-13th century pottery were also found during the latest excavations and this would seem to indicate that it was only during the last 600 years that Knowth had become forgotten as a place of importance.
Among recent visitors to Knowth have been Professor Stuart Piggot of Edinburgh, and Professor Glyn Daniel of St. John’s College, Cambridge. In a letter to The Times, Dr. Daniel says: “The complete excavation of this site next year will be one of the major events of a year which promises to be of great archaeological excitement from Wessex through Western Britain to Ireland. These great stone tombs are an essential part of the Irish past, and indeed perhaps one of the most important elements in the answer to the question, ‘Who are the Irish?’”
He later recalls a conversation with Professor Sean O’Riordan during the latter’s last illness and says that Professor O’Riordan was right when he said. ‘Let’s face it; the Irish are megalithic builders who somehow learned to speak Gaelic.’