Passage tomb - Definition

A passage tomb near the town of Sligo in Ireland

The name refers to a considerable subgroup of the Chambered cairns, but passage graves are often also covered with earth barrows. They are a type of chamber tomb and due to the large stone slabs involved in chamber construction, they are a subgroup of the European megalithic tombs

Passage graves often have elaborate corbelled roofs rather than simple slabs and sometimes a kerb surrounding the barrow or cairn. Megalithic art has been identified carved into the stones at some sites. The passage itself is often aligned in such a way that the sun shines into the passage at a significant point in the year, for example at sunrise on the winter solstice or at sunset on the equinox.

Passage graves are often found in coastal regions across Atlantic and Northern Europe, dating from between 4000 and 2000 BC. Many were constructed at the tops of hills or mountains, indicating that their builders intended them to be seen from a great distance.

Examples of Passage Graves:

• Avielochan, Clava cairn and Maes Howe in Scotland
• Bryn Celli Ddu, Wales
• The Gaverinis tomb complex, France
• Los Milares necropolis, Spain
• Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth in Ireland
• Rævehøj, Denmark