Enclosures discovered near Knowth

THE BRÚ na Bóinne passage grave sites continue to surprise archaeologists, with two large enclosures discovered near Knowth. The formation of one of them is unique in Ireland, leaving researchers mystified about how it might have been used.

The two buried features were found in a field adjacent to Knowth, no more than 40 or 50m from the famous passage tombs there, according to Joe Fenwick of NUI Galway.

Last July he surveyed the roughly 100sq m field using non-invasive techniques that could “see” below the soil surface.

“The place where we were surveying is very near the core area where most of the tourists visit.”

There were virtually no bumps or irregularities at the surface, which would be the usual tell-tale sign of possible structures or past excavations underneath, he said. Yet his collaborator, Prof George Eogan of University College Dublin – who has conducted research at Knowth for 50 years – felt there was potential there because of earlier aerial surveys. Read more.