In Part 2 of our miniseries we’re joined by Dr. Jessica Smyth who casts more light on Newgrange and Neolithic Ireland

The great passage tomb of Newgrange in the Boyne Valley of County Meath, is one of Ireland’s most iconic monuments. Today it is a World Heritage Site, and (on a normal year) it is one of our most visited monuments, with people from all over the world travelling to see this marvel of Neolithic engineering and belief. As the Winter Solstice is upon us, Newgrange takes on even more meaning, as it is aligned with the midwinter solstice. On a clear dawn on the 20th, 21st and 22nd December, a beam of light from the rising sun travels up the passageway to illuminate the chamber. Each year people gather in great numbers around the monument to celebrate this phenomenon, and lucky lottery winners get the ultimate prize of being inside the chamber to witness it first hand. However, this year, if it shines the light will pass unseen by human eyes. The pandemic that has taken so much, has also meant that the gathering for 2020 has been cancelled.

I thought this would be a good opportunity to discuss Newgrange with some of the experts who know the site intimately, as a way of casting another kind of light on our iconic monument. This is the second episode of a miniseries focusing on Newgrange. In this edition I was joined by Dr Jessica Smyth of UCD School of Archaeology.  We discussed Jessica’s exciting project Passage Tomb People, her first impressions of Newgrange and how that has changed over the years, daily life in Neolithic Ireland, prehistoric landscapes and the value of archives.

Given the restrictions we recorded the discussion over Zoom, so please forgive the audio quality if it is a bit off. This is the second part of a five part miniseries. But for now, join us, as we try to see the light at the end of the tunnel at Newgrange.

Neolithic Ireland, Newgrange and the Winter Solstice Part 2 – Show Notes

• The beautiful image of light entering the chamber and the large stone bowl in the gallery of this page is courtesy of Brian Morrison, Fáilte Ireland
• Don’t forget to catch the first episode of the Newgrange Winter Solstice series here.
• You can hear Part 3 of our Newgrange and the Winter Solstice Series with Clare Tuffy here.
• Part 4 of our Newgrange and the Winter Solstice Series featured Dr. Robert Hensey, and you can hear that here.
• Part 5 of our Newgrange series featured Professor Gabriel Cooney and you can hear that here.
• You can hear more from Jessica on the previous Amplify Archaeology episode on Passage Tombs here.
• You can find out more about Jessica’s fascinating project on the Passage Tomb People Website.
• The Winter Solstice at Newgrange is being livestreamed this year, you can watch it here.
• For details on the opening times and more information on the Visitor Centre at the Brú na Bóinne please see the OPW website.

Amplify Archaeology Podcast

This is the second part of a five episode miniseries focusing on Newgrange, the Winter Solstice and Neolithic Ireland. Please subscribe to Amplify Archaeology Podcast on your favourite platform to ensure you don’t miss a thing. If you leave us a review it can really help us to be found, so we’d be very grateful if you’d consider sharing the podcast.