What is recorded here
Six stones inside Knowth carry sixteen vertical lists of cursive or uncial marks, some forming names like Conan and others dissolving into illegible fragments. The carveings cluster on corbels and orthostats rather than spreading across the chamber, suggesting a quick personal act instead of a formal public declaration. Perhaps someone walked the passage at night, pressed a knife into soft stone and left behind a chain of half-remembered identities.
There are 16 inscriptions in cursive or uncial lettering engraved on six stones in the passage of Tomb 1C East at Knowth and two similar inscriptions (ME019-030093-) occur on a single stone in the W tomb. The words are usually inscribed in a vertical list, and some are proper names but they are often meaningless and some could be incomplete. Corbel 40 over the backstone of the S recess of the E tomb has five names (1-5) inscribed but the last two are increasingly illegible. They are: Teimtennac, Teim, Imgm. Corbel 41 over the W orthostat in the S recess has a single inscription (6) in cursive: brc (o) (i) s. Orthostat 45 on the S side of the W recess has 7 inscriptions (7-13) in cursive: These can be read as: Conan, Snedchert, Garbleter, Soborchonbar, Scoldemab, (b)…lon, and ma (c). Inscription 14 which is on Orthostat 56 on the N side of the W recess has a single word in cursive: dub. Inscriptions No. 17 on corbel 37 and No. 18 on Corbel 49 are illegible. (Byrne 2008)
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 21 September 2020
See the attached image, from Knowth 4, Plate A1:1
The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.
- What survives
- Recorded monument
Places near here
KnowthArchaeological place · 24 yd
Not indicaetdPassage tomb · 52 yd
Mill Housemill (water) · 1687 yd
Catholic Church of the Nativity of Our Ladychurch/chapel · 1.1 mi
Dowth CastleCastle, tower house · 1.8 mi
RiverviewMemorial · 2.1 mi