What is recorded here

Nine underground passages cut through the Knowth mound, linking medieval houses and tomb chambers in a shifting maze of stone. Passage one entered house two at its north-east corner, then stretched seven metres north beneath fifteen lintels before later builders bent it east toward the west tomb. When house two fell, they extended the passage south, folded it west along the old wall, and turned it southeast into the dead floor. The mound became a living map, redrawn each time a room disappeared or a new door opened.

Nine Man-made underground passages have been recorded in excavation at the Knowth passage tomb complex. They are associated with the early medieval open settlement (ME019-030060-) and are placed largely on the sides and summit of the great mound. This is Man-made underground passage No. 1 which is located inside the kerb of Tomb 1C West. It is contemporary with medieval house 2 and was entered from its NE corner. From the house the passage extends N (L 7.2m; Wth c. 0.6m; H 1.2m) with 15 lintels in place. As a later modification a drystone-built passage extended E from its N end to connect with the surviving orthostats of the W tomb. Later again, the Man-made underground passage was connected to medieval house 3 N of the entrance to the tomb and direct access to the tomb was provided by an additional passage to the W. After the demise of medieval house 2 the S end of the Man-made underground passage was extended by a passage. This ran W, on the inner side of the old N wall of the house as far as its NW angle and then turned SE to the centre of the old floor. (Eogan 2012, 87, 97-101) True location: ITM (699574m 773438) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 06 November 2013 Amended: 17 September 2020 See the attached illustrations: _1 Early medieval features, from Knowth 5, Fig. 4:1 _2 Plan of Man-made underground passage, from Knowth 5, Fig. 4:8 _3 Plan of Man-made underground passage, from Knowth 5, Fig. 4:10

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