Mound of the Hostages

The megalithic Mound of the Hostages (Irish Dumha na nGiall; German hills of the hostages ) is the oldest monument on the Hill of Tara in County Meath in Ireland. The round mound of about 15 m in diameter and three meters high, dates from the final phase of the Neolithic period, between 3000 BC and 2500 BC and is a plant of the type passage tomb. Unlike some similar systems, there is no evidence of an encircling ditch. The hill is located north of Cormac 's House ( Teach Cormaic ) and just south of the Rath of the Synods, one of the rare Raths with three concentric walls. The top of the hill is the highest point in the landscape.

Description

The chamber is only four meters long, 1.8 meters high and one meter wide. The seven support stones and two portal stones are complete. Two of the three deck once stones are preserved. The chamber is divided by threshold stones (English Sill stones ) in three departments where there was cremated. Outside, immediately north of the support stones and behind the southern portal stone, there are three small stone boxes. The hill was used by the early Neolithic BC to 1600 for burials and probably cleared several times in about 1500 years. Here, the detection of at least 200 cremations succeeded.

Petroglyphs

A decorated stone stands near the entrance. Rock carvings of this type occur only in Irish passage tombs and have their equivalents in designs in Four Knocks, Knockmany, Knockroe, Knowth, Loughcrew and Newgrange.