Heaven
Trip Start
May 26, 2011
1
4
15
Trip End
Jul 28, 2011
Trim, County Meath, Ireland
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Our next stop was a Neolithic ritual site called Knowth. Sorry if I go overboard here, this place was sort of a big deal to me. Knowth was built nearly 5000 years ago. It's a huge, man made mound surrounded be hundreds of carved stones and 18 satellite mounds. Knowths original purpose was as a ritual site during the solstices and for burial but was repurposed throughout pre-Christian and medieval Europe.
The stones surrounding it are carved with varying symbols and art. A particular stone of interest is the sundial stone. The sundial stone just happens to align perfectly with the lunar calendar. This has huge implications! If the sundial stone is indeed a calendar, it is the first in human history. For some perspective, Knowth predates the height of the Mayan empire by almost 3000 years. Even better, this would be the first evidence of written language in the world. That's a really big deal, people. And I saw it in person! I know this seems dull but this is the kind of thing I spent hours and hours studying for, testing on, and writing about in college. I'm kind of obsessed and to actually see a site like this in person is a dream come true! This was certainly my favorite day in Ireland.
Comments
Dude!!!! I just got an adrenaline burst reading that post!!! I can just imagine how freaking excited you must have been...just bursting I'm sure:) As a former next-door neighbor I can attest to your understandable fascination with the locations you have been too and are going to be in the future! Chock one up for the history nerds!!