Fourknocks Passage Tomb
Four Knocks · Na Fuarchnoic
Neolithic (c.3200–2800 BCE)·Boyne Valley Passage Tomb tradition·🇮🇪 County Meath, Leinster, Ireland
About
About Fourknocks Passage Tomb
Isolated decorated passage tomb 16 km southeast of Newgrange near Naul, Co. Meath, discovered 1949. Complex cruciform tomb with short passage (3.5 m) leading to exceptionally wide chamber (4.5 m) with four recesses, originally roofed by timber and thatch rather than cairn — unique in Ireland. Walls carry extensive engravings: chevrons, lozenges, leaf shapes and rare anthropomorphic figures, among Boyne Valley's finest art. Artefacts include decorated pottery and cremated bone c.3000 BCE. Mound reconstructed 1950 by P. J. Hartnett. Nearest comparable is Loughcrew. Managed by OPW (key from nearby farm).
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Why roofed in timber/thatch versus typical corbelled stone
- 02Meaning of rare anthropomorphic engravings unique to Fourknocks
Theories
- 01Timber roof reflects adaptation to locally available flat shale slabs long enough for lintels
- 02Art as fertility/ancestor imagery linked to Loughcrew style
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 3000 BCE
- Period
- Neolithic (c.3200–2800 BCE)
- Culture
- Boyne Valley Passage Tomb tradition
- Purpose
- Passage tomb with art-rich chamber for communal burial and art display
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 3000 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1314 CE
Major expansion
On the ground
Structures & features
53.5967° N · 6.3264° W · 85 m · 3 mapped features
Cruciform Chamber
chamberWide chamber 4.5 m across with four side recesses and heavily engraved walls
53.5967° N · 6.3264° WEngraved Orthostats
decorated stoneWalls with chevron, lozenge and anthropomorphic art panels
53.5967° N · 6.3263° WShort Entrance Passage
passage3.5 m passage oriented southeast
53.5967° N · 6.3265° W
Gallery