Newgrange Kerbstone K18

It is one of the 97 kerbstones numbered in Professor Michael J. O'Kelly's record of the monument. Walking clockwise from the entrance stone (K1), K18 is seventeen stones away from the entrance.

Newgrange Kerbstone K18

Megalithic art on the back face of Kerbstone K18 is illustrated in Claire O'Kelly's corpus as kerbstone 18 (back) in Michael J. O'Kelly's Newgrange: Archaeology, Art and Legend (Part 5).

Plan of Newgrange Mound adapted from Newgrange - Archaeology, Art and Legend

Newgrange – Archaeology, Art and Legend

Newgrange – Archaeology, Art and Legend by Professor Michael J. O'Kelly and Claire O'Kelly is the definitive archaeological study of Newgrange and one of the most important books ever published on an Irish prehistoric monument.

Based on Professor Michael J. O'Kelly's excavations between 1962 and 1975, the book explains the construction, chronology, megalithic art and winter solstice alignment of Newgrange. O'Kelly also describes the excavation, interpretation and restoration of the great passage tomb using detailed archaeological records and architectural analysis.

Richly illustrated throughout, the volume includes the important contribution of Claire O'Kelly, who collaborated closely in the excavation and recording of the site from its earliest seasons.

First published in 1982, with a paperback edition in 1988, the book remains an essential reference for anyone interested in the archaeology, megalithic art and wider significance of Newgrange and the Boyne Valley.

Purchase at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

Newgrange | Brú na Bóinne

At Brú na Bóinne, Newgrange is the passage tomb most closely associated with the winter solstice sunrise. Its cruciform chamber, corbelled roof and long passage were built with remarkable precision using hundreds of greywacke and other stones.

The roof-box, a later structural addition, allows a narrow shaft of dawn light to penetrate the mound on and around 21 December each year. Lottery winners and OPW staff witness the event inside the chamber; crowds gather outside at dawn.

Knowth and Dowth, the other great mounds of the complex, complement Newgrange with their own passages, art and folklore. Together they anchor a World Heritage Site that draws visitors and researchers from around the globe.

Walking the kerb at Newgrange reveals the scale of Neolithic engineering: stones up to 4.4 metres long, propped in pits and held by packing stones. Decorated examples range from the fully panelled entrance stone to faint cupmarks easy to miss without careful looking.