Located in the Boyne Valley, County Meath, Ireland, Newgrange is a prehistoric monument designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, part of the larger Brú na Bóinne complex. Constructed around 5,200 years ago (c. 3200 BC) during the Neolithic period by Stone Age farmers, it predates both Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Giza.
Architecturally classified as a passage tomb, Newgrange consists of a large circular mound approximately 85 meters in diameter and 13 meters high, covering about an acre. The mound is retained by 97 large kerbstones, many engraved with megalithic art, most notably the elaborate entrance stone. A distinguishing feature is its reconstructed façade incorporating white quartz.
A 19-meter long passage leads from the entrance to a central cruciform chamber with a corbelled roof. Newgrange is renowned for its precise astronomical alignment. An opening above the main entrance, known as the roof box, allows sunlight to penetrate the passage and illuminate the inner chamber for approximately 17 minutes at dawn on the days surrounding the Winter Solstice (around December 21st). This sophisticated design highlights the advanced knowledge possessed by its Neolithic builders. Its age, construction, and precise alignment make it a site of considerable anomalous potential.