Abstract
At Newgrange on the morning of the winter solstice the Sun's rays shine through a specially contrived slit in the roof, along a 19 m passage to illuminate the central burial chamber. This passage grave was built about 1,000 yr earlier than the third phase of Stonehenge, by a different culture. It supports the claim that prehistoric cultures had studied the cycles of the Sun and utilised them in orientating their monuments.
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References
O'Kelly, C., Illustrated guide to Newgrange, second ed., 94–95 (John English, Wexford, 1971).
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Patrick, J. Midwinter sunrise at Newgrange. Nature 249, 517–519 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/249517a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/249517a0
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