In this rather interesting article there is a timely assessment of some of the mythology surrounding Newgrange -- probably the most iconic prehistoric site in Ireland. The authors point out that many of the assumptions about Newgrange being a "special" place built by a powerful ruling clan as a tribute or homage to a "king" or powerful ruler are based on very little evidence -- or no evidence at all. They suggest that Newgrange was built over a very long period in many different phases, and that those buried there were not necessarily related, or people of high status within a ruling elite. They prefer a simpler story, devoid of heavy symbolism and romanticism -- indeed, somehat utilitarian and somewhat boring.
There are lessons here for all of us -- especially those who have developed the fanciful West Wales narrative of sacred and special places, magical stones, heroic quarrying activities and even more heroic long-distance stone haulage expeditions........
The post-processual obsession with fanciful narratives has a lot to answer for.
It might just be a good idea for the archaeologists working in West Wales to go back to basics and work out just what evidence there is on the ground, as suggested by quite a few of us from other disciplines over the years.
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Smyth J, Carlin N, Hofmann D, et al. The ‘king’ of Newgrange? A critical analysis of a Neolithic petrous fragment from the passage tomb chamber. Antiquity. 2025;99(405):672-688. doi:10.15184/aqy.2025.63
ABSTRACT
Recent genomic analysis of a skull fragment from Newgrange, Ireland, revealed a rare case of incest. Together with a wider network of distantly related passage tomb interments, this has bolstered claims of a social elite in later Neolithic Ireland. Here, the authors evaluate this social evolutionary interpretation, drawing on insecurities in context and the relative rarity of engendered status or resource restrictions in the archaeological record of prehistoric Ireland to argue that the status of individuals during this period is better understood through unstable identity negotiations. Inclusion in a passage tomb, while ‘special’, need not equate to a perpetual elite.
10 comments:
What we DO know about early medieval Ireland is there were loads and loads of local " kings" or chieftains. But, projecting that back into prehistory is another matter to be sure it is......
The sun is in the wrong place in this pretty picture. Pretty pictures, as popular as they are prove nothing.
the wrong place for what, Tom? Mind you, picture manipulation is rampant everywhere nowadays -- so we can't trust the authenticity of anything.
It's in the wrong place for anything, Brian. As you know, Newgrange is famous for its alignment with the winter solstice. However, today's solstice is nowhere near its original position when Newgrange was built. Also, a few additional azimuths, such as Newgrange's portal and the 21st December sunset as seen from the monument, wouldn't go amiss.
It's in the wrong place to prove anything, Brian. As you are aware, Ireland's Newgrange is renowned for its alignment with the winter solstice. Furthermore, the “Lightbox” above the portal of Newgrange captures the stronger sunlight available shortly after sunrise, exactly like Stonehenge.
These two monuments, Newgrange and Stonehenge, should dispel the foolish idea that Stonehenge was constructed for the sound it creates.
Hi Tom, just wondering roughly where is it you live these days? Are you in Pembrokeshire? Presumably, you used to live somewhere reasonably close to Avebury and Stonehenge. I recall you offering your book to Ros Cleal at the Alexander Keiller Museum, Avebury, when I volunteered there.
Hi Tony. I recently visited the Alexander Keiller Museum and left my card, but I only vaguely remember giving Ros Cleal one of my books. It must have been my first, made by a back-street publisher who openly admitted it was poorly assembled and would soon fall apart, as most did. Nowadays, my books are produced on demand by Amazon. Regarding my address, ask Brian; he knows.
The sun in the wrong place is an odd argument Tom. All the picture shows you is that it was taken sometime in June or early July (probably just after about 9pm).
Hi Jon. I should have said that the sun is in the wrong place to prove anything.
Fair enough. A problem with Newgrange is that it was constructed using peat layers; which compress under stress and so transfer that load by arching within the soil into the rigid elements. Over time, that changes a structure. How much by? Who knows: unfortunately the investigation wasn't done. So there's no real way of telling if what it is now, as reconstructed by the archaeologists, represents what it was then (even if the sun were in the right place which, as you point out, it never is in our era).
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