Megalithic Ireland
The NW European megalithic era is represented in Ireland on a very big scale. Great passage mounds, dolmens, stone circles, standing stones, alignments are all an important feature of the landscape. Each aspect of the megalithic of course tends to have its own unique "Irish" form, as is true for other megalithic areas -- Brittany and Scotland for example.

It is as if each time a new culture came in contact with an existing culture the original inhabitants adapted and amended it to fit in with their ideas. Also Ireland possesses on a large scale examples of its own form of rock scribings, now generally a...

Megalithic Ireland
The NW European megalithic era is represented in Ireland on a very big scale. Great passage mounds, dolmens, stone circles, standing stones, alignments are all an important feature of the landscape. Each aspect of the megalithic of course tends to have its own unique "Irish" form, as is true for other megalithic areas -- Brittany and Scotland for example.

It is as if each time a new culture came in contact with an existing culture the original inhabitants adapted and amended it to fit in with their ideas. Also Ireland possesses on a large scale examples of its own form of rock scribings, now generally agreed to represent astronomical events.

The passage mound building dates in Ireland would appear to be from around 3500 BC. (That is -- in their present form -- they would have even earlier beginnings). As they stand they could be slightly later than Brittany and Iberia. Precise dating is hard to achieve as alteration and expansion would extend over a lengthy period. Passage orientation is by now generally accepted to tie in with solar, lunar, and stellar alignments.

The term "passage graves" is on its way out. Even when used for burials that would not have been the original purpose -- any more than a cathedral is a tomb. Changes in farming leading to the need to understand the calendar and depend on it are the key to such monuments. It is significant that from Ireland to the Fertile Crescent agricultural change and the study of astronomy are contemporaneous -- from 4000 BC megalithic Europe was in line with parallel developments in the Middle East. Considerable organization was required in such projects indicating a strong religious and political system and a reasonably large population with an economic surplus. (Made possible by new farming techniques).