This seminar will focus on the extensive Neolithic (3300-3000BC) passage tomb cemetery at Brú na Bóinne which boasts three of the largest artificial structures of this time in Europe. In addition to their use as burial places the tombs were the focus of an elaborate 'Cult of the Ancestors'. Long after its prehistoric abandonment, the Knowth mound was the focus of renewed attention and was fortified and became the residence of the kings of North Brega, one of the most powerful new families of the Uí Neill dynasty descended from the legendary founder Niall Noígiallach ('Niall of the Nine Hostages'). These mounds and the wider landscape is relatively well represented in early Irish documentary sources and is quite often associated with supernatural beings and the Otherworld.
This field experience will offer a hands-on exploration of these sites and the broader landscape.
There are a limited number of spaces available; to reserve a place, please contact Claire in Room 43, Arts Block (irish.heritagecentre@mu.ie). The bus will depart from outside the Phoenix Restaurant (North Campus) at 9.30am.
Exploring the satellite tombs at Knowth