Fourknocks Passage Tomb is a passage grave and

National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a spec ...

located in County Meath, Ireland.

Location

is located northwest of Naul, near a hilltop overlooking the Delvin River. The placename means either "cold hill" or "bare/exposed hill."

History

Fourknocks Passage Tomb dates to 3000–2500 BC. It was unknown to archaeology until 1949, when a woman making a visit to Newgrange mentioned, "there are mounds like this on my uncle’s farm." It is not marked on any of the old Ordnance Survey maps. It was first excavated in 1950-52 by PJ Hartnett. He found cists, grave goods including a foot bowl and a carved antler pin, urns containing cremated remains and a posthole. Unlike other passage graves, the tomb at Fourknocks is not believed to have been covered over with stones. A wooden pole may have held up a wooden or animal-skin roof. During reconstruction after excavation, a concrete roof was placed over the chamber for protection.

Description

Fourknocks has a short passage leading into a wide, pear-shaped chamber with three smaller offset chambers. The original roof was likely a wooden structure supported by a central pole. Two of the

lintel A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...

s have chevron decoration and one of them has

lozenge Lozenge or losange may refer to: * Lozenge (shape), a type of rhombus *Throat lozenge, a tablet intended to be dissolved slowly in the mouth to suppress throat ailments *Lozenge (heraldry), a diamond-shaped object that can be placed on the field of ...

decoration. Two other mounds in the Fourknocks complex were excavated. One of these likely served as the cremation site for the bones found in the main tomb and was used for later interments.

References

{{Reflist National Monuments in County Meath Archaeological sites in County Meath Tombs in the Republic of Ireland