In honor of the winter solstice next week, I wanted to showcase Newgrange, the prehistoric stone structure from circa 3200 BC. Located north of Dublin in County Meath, the 5,000 year old Newgrange is older than both Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Giza. Covering an acre of land, the Neolithic structure is topped with grass and the face of the mound is a mixture of white quartz stone and soil.
While little is known about the exact intention of this site, it is widely believed to have been built for spiritual purposes. During the sunrise of the winter solstice, the cross-shaped inner passage and chamber of the mound glow with light from the sun for approximately 17 minutes. Undoubtedly built to highlight the shortest day of the year, the precise engineering design aligns the inner passage and chamber with the roof box above the entrance allowing the weak winter sun to shine through to its core.
Tours are allowed for this spectacular occurrence, but only 100 lucky people are selected each year. So make sure you plan well in advance to see this event.
Alien built, obviously.
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