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AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY is being carried out at Newgrange in order to establish whether any hidden passageways or chambers exist at the site.
A survey team of Irish and Slovakian archaeologists will employ some techniques never before used at archaeological sites in Ireland.
One such method, the microgravity survey technique, has already been used “very successfully” at the pyramids in Egypt to identify the locations of passages and chambers, according to the project organisers.
Newgrange, located in the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site in Co Meath, was constructed more than 5,000 years ago – making it older than both Stongehenge and the Great Pyramid of Giza.
In light of the goings-on in Meath, we’ve taken a look at some other sites of archaeological significance which have unearthed unexpected gems…
It is believed that the Great Pyramid of Giza could contain at least one chamber that has never been opened, following the discovery of a new door in the northern shaft of the building at the beginning of this century.
The door, which bears two copper handles, is found at the end of a tortuous and extremely narrow passage – and proved to be inaccessible by anything but a specially-designed robot.
The city of Pompeii, which was buried in a massive explosion from Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, has gradually revealed the details of the everyday lives of ancient Romans over a number of centuries.
The first part of the buried city was unearthed in 1599, although nothing came of the discovery at the time. It was then discovered once more in 1748, with proper excavations beginning in 1764. Frescoes, pots and personal effects have been uncovered in the town – as have the last terrified moments of the town’s residents: depressions in the rock were filled with plaster by archaeologists to reveal where bodies fell.
The Blombos cave on the Southern Cape coast of South Africa has been the site of a great deal of excavation, however the discovery of a 100,000-year-old “cosmetic toolkit” in 2008 shed new light ancient beauty rituals of the area’s earliest humans.
The find, which included tools for grinding a red powder, showed that “people were capable of advanced thought at least 20,000 years earlier than was previously believed,” according to team member Dr Karen van Niekerk, reports the Mail & Guardian.
Archaeologists working at the site of the ancient city of Rhodiapolis - in present Antalya, Turkey – uncovered a series of Tombs from the Lycian era earlier this month.
The Lycian cemetery complex is thought to date, roughly, to 300 BC and to be part of a series of tombs that surrounded a larger necropolis, World Bulletin reports.
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Excellent! The Ark of the Covenant is exactly what we need to show other economies who’s boss….just remember to shut your eyes guys (not you Bertie, Charlie, and Biffo)
Love it!
Who red thumbed this?! Genius idea, although I think it’s already in Hangar 18…
Actually at the turn of the century, a group of wealthy Americans began excavating at Tara believing that the Ark of the Covenant was buried there. There is still a myth that it is buried somewhere in Ireland having been brought here by Cesair, granddaughter of Noah (yup, the flood guy).
As long as they do no harm, knock yourselves out. Its amazing that for such an ancient building so little of it is known, although to be fair professor Kelly pulled it apart and gave us the Newgrange we have now, some agree some don’t. That Newgrange itself is hardly known outside Ireland may be a blessing, everyone has heard of the Pyramids, Stonehenge, the Acropolis etc but ask an American or Englishman have they ever heard of Newgrange, sad, I’d love to see it getting recognition but then could it handle 3,4,5 times the tourist numbers? Who knows?
it wasn’t wealthy americans, it was a religious sect called the “british Israelites”. Supposedly james joyce went up to tara to try and stop them and he was shot at by the local farmer! I prosed a second chamber in newgrange a few years ago to a historian there and I was poo pooed. At the back of the passage tomb there is what looks like to me a second entrance stone. Other passage tombs in the area have two passages so its entirely possible.
Rumour has it that Haughey spent a lot of time there during the works-probably will turn out to be a cave filled with Charvet shirts (size small, with a large neck), fine brandies, and Terry Keane’s smalls.
The title of the article was about Newgrange.
It diverted to sites thousands of years more recent in the Middle East.
No use comparing the Wright Brothers plane to an F16 fighter.
Sounds interesting.
Was it not teconstructed……ie they would know whats in there!
is it not kinda obvious that there has to be more rooms at new grange, a big round building with only one passage in the middle. there has to be something more up there
They found the Ark of the Covenant where Moses placed the 10 Commandments, in a cave under Golgotha.
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