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Newgrange

Newgrange: quartz and granite wall

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GLADMAN G
GLADMAN Jul 17, 2016 20:33:33
Replying to CianMcLiam

CianMcLiam wrote:
GLADMAN wrote:
tiompan wrote:
Without the steel reinforced concrete support the wall would collapse .
That has always been my understanding. From a purely engineering point of view, are there any known prehistoric structural techniques that could have achieved the façade we now have?
Yes, similar walls were found at Petit Mont, Gavrinis, Barnenez etc. A good intact section of similar walling can still be seen at Baltinglass Hill.
I'm aware of the Brittany monuments - although sadly not been.... yet - but not aware of any of those using quartzite in a load bearing context? Question is why O'Kelly had to use additional structural support? Would such a quartzite façade stand without the modern help?

In my experience Quartzite is a pretty consistent feature - albeit in small quantities - of upland Bronze Age cairns across the UK so clearly it had a pretty widespread symbolic (?) value; however, to my knowledge, nowhere is it used in a load bearing context

C CianMcLiam
CianMcLiam Jul 17, 2016 21:44:52
Replying to GLADMAN

Yes, the quartz found on the cairns at Loughcrew, and collapsed off the mounds of Newgrange, Knowth and Knockroe seem to be an Irish thing. So are basin stones, the roofbox, the boulder cap over the chamber of Newgrange and the fairly unique style of art.