Newgrange Great Circle Stone GC-10
Great Circle stone GC-10 is one of the surviving standing stones in the Great Circle at Newgrange. It stands to the east of the entrance to the mound.
Newgrange Great Circle stone GC-10.
The standing stones
Twelve Great Circle stones survive today. If the ring was ever complete, it may have contained between 35 and 38 stones; whether a full circle was erected remains uncertain. The four tall standing stones opposite the entrance to the Newgrange mound rise between 2 and 2.5 metres above the original ground surface. They are GC3, GC1, GC-1 and GC-2. Many of the other surviving stones were broken in antiquity and now stand only a short distance above ground level.
Megalithic art on GC-10
GC-10 has close area-picking on the outer face, mainly on the right-hand side and close to the edge. Other picking sits near the base, within natural depressions in the stone and on the surrounding surface. Williams first noticed this work in 2020, which led to the wider recording of the circle.
The stone fell onto its outer face early in the monument's history, which helped to preserve the picking. It is one of the taller survivors east of the entrance, standing about 2 metres (6½ feet) high.
Source: Ken Williams (2023), Megalithic art on the Great Circle at Newgrange and the implications for chronology, The Journal of Irish Archaeology 32, 1-22.
Dating the Great Circle
The date of the Great Circle remains debated. Williams argues from the carvings, excavation records and comparisons with other monuments that it was erected during the construction or use of the Neolithic passage tomb. Its precise construction date remains uncertain.
Plan of Newgrange Mound adapted from Newgrange - Archaeology, Art and Legend.
Newgrange – Archaeology, Art and Legend
Newgrange – Archaeology, Art and Legend by Professor Michael J. O'Kelly and Claire O'Kelly is the definitive archaeological study of Newgrange and one of the most important books ever published on an Irish prehistoric monument.
Based on Professor Michael J. O'Kelly's excavations between 1962 and 1975, the book explains the construction, chronology, megalithic art and winter solstice alignment of Newgrange. O'Kelly also describes the excavation, interpretation and restoration of the great passage tomb using detailed archaeological records and architectural analysis.
Richly illustrated throughout, the volume includes the important contribution of Claire O'Kelly, who collaborated closely in the excavation and recording of the site from its earliest seasons.
First published in 1982, with a paperback edition in 1988, the book remains an essential reference for anyone interested in the archaeology, megalithic art and wider significance of Newgrange and the Boyne Valley.
Purchase at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
Newgrange | Brú na Bóinne
GC-10 stands on the eastern arc of the Great Circle. At about 2 metres high and 1.75 metres wide, it is a substantial greywacke stone. Its early fall and the preservation of picking on its outer face are important evidence in Williams's reassessment of the circle.
Together with the mound, kerb and passage, the Great Circle forms part of the architectural ensemble that earned Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage status in 1993. Newgrange shares the ridge with Knowth and Dowth, and the wider valley holds henges, satellite tombs and later monuments spanning thousands of years. Passage entry is by timed tour from the visitor centre; stones such as GC-10 remain visible to anyone walking the outer path around the cairn.