Construction

How did primitive man create such a magnificent structure without any metal tools or machinery?

The entire mound contains an estimated 200,000 tonnes of material. It has been estimated that construction would have taken about 30 years using a workforce of about 300 men. Remember that in 3000 B.C. the average life expectancy would have been much shorter than it is now.

What do you think the average life expectancy of a person is today?
Do you think it is different for a man and a woman?
Do you think the life expectancy is the same across different countries and continents?
Why do people live longer now than they did in the Stone Age? 

The team working on Newgrange must have been very organised and dedicated in order to find and collect these very large slabs and carry them uphill to the site of construction. It is not known with any certainty how they managed to move these great stones across the land and up a hill.

Do you have any ideas on how they might have transported large and heavy materials in the Stone Age?
Think about what they were cutting down in order to clear the land for crops!

 

A very advanced building technique was used in the creation of the roof at Newgrange, which has not leaked for over 5,000 years. The roof over the chambers was corbelled, which is the placing of one stone on top of another until they meet in the middle, creating a cone. Also, the addition of grooves onto the top surface of the passage roof stones shows that the builders were aware of the need to redirect water seepage from the cairn, keeping the passage water-proofed.

Over the centuries, Newgrange has been damaged by changes to the landscape and by vandalism. It is also known that the white quartz walls surrounding the exterior of Newgrange were not always there. They were put there after the discovery in the 17^th century in an attempt to recreate the original appearance.

Do you think historians should try to restore artefacts to their original state or do you think they should leave them in the state that they find them?