- Passage grave
s are usually used in construction.
Passage tombs of the cairn type often have elaborate
corbel led roofs rather than simple slabs and sometimes a kerb surrounds the barrow or cairn. Megalithic art has been identified carved into the stones at some sites. The passage itself, in a number of notable instances, is aligned in such a way that the sun shines into the passage at a significant point in the year, for example at sunrise on the winter solstice or at sunset on theequinox .The term passage tomb (at least in English) appears to have been coined by Irish archaeologists
Sean O'Nuallain andRúaidhri De Valera in the 1960s. They nominated 4 categories of megalithic tombs, (the other categories werecourt tomb s,portal dolmen s andwedge tomb s) but passage tombs were the only ones which appeared to have a wide distribution through Europe. The writers were probably using the Spanish term "tumbas de corridor" which is used for tombs inCantabria , Galicia and the Basque Country.Passage graves are distributed extensively along the Atlantic façade of Europe. They are found in
Scandinavia , northernGermany and theDrenthe area of theNetherlands . They are found in Iberia and in some parts of theMediterranean , as well as along the northern coast ofAfrica . The earliest passage tombs seem to take the form of small dolmens or stone constructions. In Britain and Ireland passage tombs are often found in large clusters, giving rise to the term passage tomb cemeteries. Many later passage tombs were constructed at the tops of hills or mountains, indicating that their builders intended them to be seen from a great distance.Examples of Passage Graves
*
Avielochan ,Clava cairn andMaeshowe inScotland
*Bryn Celli Ddu ,Wales
* TheGavrinis tomb complex,France
*Carnac Britany, France
*Los Millares necropolis,Spain
*Brú na Bóinne (orNewgrange ),Loughcrew , Carrowkeel andCarrowmore inIreland
*Rævehøj ,Denmark
*La Hougue Bie ,Jersey
* Cairn Hill,Corneddan , Longford,Ireland External links
* [http://www.pretanicworld.com/Monuments.html Pretanic World - Chart of Neolithic, Bronze Age and Celtic Stone Structures]
* [http://www.newgrange.com/ Newgrange Passage Grave]
*Bremore Passage Tomb cemetery, Co. Dublin [http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0702/nationwide_av.html?2394467,null,228]ources
De Valera, Ruaidhri, & O Nuallain. Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Dublin: Stationery Office
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