Souterrain in Knowth

Nine souterrains have been recorded in excavation at the 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 monument is souterrain 3 located on the E side of the mound, and it was connected to medieval house 7 and the entrance to Tomb 1C East itself. It is one of the longest and most complicated of the souterrains at Knowth, and it is cut into both the upper and lower fosses of the rath. The main section runs N (L 8.8m; max. Wth 0.85m) from the entrance to the E tomb to a sub-rectangular beehive chamber (dims 1.8m x 1.6m; H 1.8m). There is a step-up from this chamber to a passage (L 6.3m) rising steeply W up the mound to another step-up beyond which it continued W (L c. 9.2m) but it was no longer roofed. Just before its S end which is connected with the passage from medieval house 4 to the passage tomb this souterrain was joined by the re-modelled entrance from Souterrain 2 that was at a lower level and also extended N. At the junction of Soutterains 2/3 with the passage tomb the S wall of the tomb was extended E by drystone walling and this provided the S wall of another passage (L 2.1m; Wth 1.3m; H 1m) of this souterrain that is roofed with stones from a satellite tomb, two of which have megalithic art. This passage almost reached the kerb of the tomb, but the passage turned S (L c. 3m), although unroofed, to connect with the NE corner of medieval house 7. (Eogan 2012, 124-6) True location: ITM (699637, 773465) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 06 November 2013 Amended: 17 September 2020 See the attached illustrations: _1 Early medieval features, from Knwoth 5, Fig. 4:1 _2 Souterrain plan, from Knowth 5, Fig. 25