12/14/2025
Built around 3,200 BC in Irelandâs Boyne Valley, Newgrange is one of the worldâs oldest and most sophisticated prehistoric monumentsâolder than Stonehenge and even the Great Pyramids of Giza.
The vast, kidney-shaped mound covers more than an acre and is ringed by 97 carved kerbstones decorated with spirals and megalithic designs. A 19-meter passage leads to a cruciform inner chamber topped by a corbelled roof that has remained watertight for over 5,000 years.
Its most remarkable feature is its winter solstice alignment. For several days each December, the rising sun shines through a precisely engineered roof box, illuminating the chamber for up to 17 minutesâa stunning display of ancient astronomical knowledge and ceremonial intent.