Passage tomb discovery - Find of a lifetime

The discovery over the summer of a passage tomb dating back 5,500 years in the Boyne Valley area has been described as the “find of a lifetime”. In fact, it is the find of several lifetimes as it reveals that a sophisticated and artistic culture thrived in the region during the Neolithic period, far removed from the savage ancient peoples of popular imagination.

Three separate discoveries in the area have excited archaeologists and anthropologists. One is a Neolithic passage tomb cemetery, unearthed during works at Dowth Hall, Co Meath; the second is a a prehistoric circle of stone known as a henge, revealed by sunny and dry conditions in July; and the third a new archaeology dig at Newgrange which has uncovered an ancient processional way to the famous site.