Standing stone in Knowth

Outside the entrance to Tomb 1C East amongst the ceremonial stone settings (ME019-030087-) is a standing stone (D) opposite the tomb entrance. This is a limestone with a rectangular cross-section (dims 0.23m x 0.2m; L 1.6m) which had been lying on the spread of exotic stones but is now set upright in its original socket in the outer line of slabs of the principal stone setting. Although Tomb 1C has no solar alignment with the rising sun at the equinox, the shadow of this stone does fall on K11 at that time. (Eogan and Cleary 2017, 238-9) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 21 September 2020

Probably dating to the Neolithic period (c. 3500–2500 BCE), this standing stone may have had a ceremonial or symbolic function related to the passage tomb complex at Knowth. Such stones often marked ritual pathways or aligned with astronomical events.