New geophysical surveys at Dowth Henge, Brú na Bóinne

摘要

Dowth Henge (Site Q) is the largest and best preserved of the nine embanked enclosures (five of which have been identified since 2010) within the area of the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site in Co. Meath, Ireland. Dowth Henge is unusual for Irish monuments of this type in that it has two opposing entrances, with the vast majority of Irish embanked enclosures having only a single entrance. However, it has been argued that the northeast entrance is a later addition to the site, owing to the presence of a break of slope immediately external to the northeast, suggesting a former continuation of the bank. The site occupies an unusual position for an embanked enclosure in one of the most elevated positions within the local landscape: it slopes appreciably from southwest (uphill) to northeast (downhill) with the former entrance being 8m higher than the latter.