Newgrange
January 20, 2016
Today the class went to Newgrange, one of forty ancient burial grounds found 50 km north of Dublin. The tomb was measured to be about 5200 years old, dating it older than the pyramids or Stonehenge. It has an elaborate white quartz wall with round stones placed intricately around the wall. Though the outer wall had to be rebuilt because it had sustained damage, it was very carefully put back to how it would have looked upon completion. Inside, the roof, made of stone, is completely waterproof, and the designs carved into the rocks were amazing. It was most likely the burial sight of very prominent people in the area back 3200 BC. There is a perfectly designed window and corridor into the tomb itself which, during the days before, on, and just after the solstice, allows light to shed into the tomb onto an onlookers feet. The engineering feat to have this window inline with our feet, and with the horizon, as well as with the sun as it rises at a specific point in the year, all 5200 years ago shocks me. It is truly amazing to see what humankind has been able to do, even as far back as the Newgrange builders. Our tour guide also brought up something that really stuck with me: the people 5000 years ago lived in mud huts and thatched-roof houses, yet they brought in quartz, and transported massive stones from up to 80 km away to build these religious burial grounds. That is insane to me. I could really see how much of an emphasis that the afterlife and spiritual life had with the people of the time. I think Ireland still has a lot of superstition which can be traced back to a culture like the one which built Newgrange. They spent almost an entire lifetime (30+ years) building this structure (and two more giant ones like it), as a place to be buried, not to live.
Today was a gorgeous day. So when we went inside, and our guide turned off the lights placed in to have a simulation of the winter solstice, we could already see a faint beam of light. For some reason, that was really special to me. Even though it wasn’t the direct sun, I still got to see natural light flood into the room, which I am sure not many tourists get to see. The simulation was really cool, but not quite as cool as the natural light. I can’t say I would try and win the lottery to be in the room for the actual solstice. As cool as it was, the weather is just too much of a variable to make a commitment to go!
Drew Fellows