Dating Knowth

Abstract

• The aim of this book is to present the archaeological history of the achievements of the passage tomb builders who constructed and used the great mound (Tomb 1) at Knowth over a period of at least three centuries, c. 3200–2900 BC. This was a time of change, and the monuments at Knowth represent not just a change in ideas and ritual practices over extensive geographical areas of western and northern Europe, but also an increased ‘sophistication’ in architectural and engineering developments. The Knowth tombs provide evidence for these extensive changes in society, ritually, materially and socially, particularly with regard to relationships with wider Atlantic Europe. It is hoped that the research presented in this volume, the sixth in the Excavations at Knowth series, will lead to a better understanding of the people who built the passage tomb cemetery at Knowth, and also contribute to the wider appreciation of society at the time.