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Megalithic art studies by W. Battersby

Alignments

At the time of Newgrange Zero (moment the great mound has been constructed), most stellar alignments were not in function any more (that is why a lot of pick dressing and hidden art is present at Newgrange).
The winter and summer solstice sun both happen to rise from behind hills called Redmountain, there is one hill in the north-west and another hill with the same name in the south-west.

At Loughcrew, the possible passage of Cairn D is aligned with summer solstice set.

Knowth-4 Site 1 could have looked like the following purple stones (other sites would have been present also):

Knowth Zero had all the kerb stones in place (3000 BCE).

Remark: The above alignments are not yet checked by me.

Calendar

Interesting issues

• After the ice-age, one million ton of loose stones were present in the region.
• Long distance orientations could have been used; like Slane in between Loughcrew and Boyne Valley.
• Orion is equivalent with the walker god Nuadu.
• Orion is walking over the horizon around winter solstice in the southern sky.
• The dog (KU) is relating to Sirius (also called the Dogstar).
• The Great Bear was perhaps called Great Dog in Ireland (no bears).
• The wedge on Newgrange K1, could mirror the space that looks like a wedge due to the leaning in of R21 and L20 (see also this remark).
• When having a bend in a passage, one can make it more accurate . This could also be done by making it less wider, but access would than be restricted.
• When there is a bright sky around the longest day, the back stone in the center recess (C3) is illuminated on the right side.

Remark: This illumination is not the same as around winter solstice day, because the reflection seen around the longest day is a reflection coming from a lower altitude (such as the fields on Redmountain).

Motifs and symbols

Symbol	Morpheme	Motif
sun/star rise, birth, Nuadu	LU, NU
sun/star set	SI
bird	ANE
dog	KU
star, sun		lozenge
star		cup mark
sky	KO
sun	RA	circle
moon		arc
full moon		two concentric circles
	MO
	SA	v-sign
	LI	wedge (triangle) to left
	NO	wedges (triangle) to both sides
	NU
feet/legs of Nuada
water	MI, MU	zigzag
	NI, RI	comb

Stone forms

Questions for author

• The southern moon (max. lunar standstill limit) setting has not the same azimuth as the setting of Sirius, Orion or the setting of the winter solstice sun.
• The triple double spiral on C10 is not precisely the same as the triple double spiral on Newgrange K1 (copied from Brennan [1982]?).
• Star light will not cast any shadow, one can of course watch the star along an alignment.
• Were R21 and L20 leaning in at the time of Newgrange Zero? See also the article of T. Ray.
• The Great Circle stones where not there when R21 was in position, so how can these possibles directions around R21 towards GC-stones be explained?
  
• Where is the information coming from that the sea level was 4 meter higher? I have opposite information. The info of Battersby looks to be oke: in Heritage Guide No.20 it is mentioned that at Strangford Lough the water was 3-4 m higher at 5000 years ago.
• How can the alignment Knowth K27/28/29 to Newgrange K52 be towards winter solstice rise, while Knowth - Newgrange is a lunar minor standstill limit rise?
• How do the two conjoined spirals on Knowth K73 look like?
• Where is Hill of Ward situated (OS map coordinates)?

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