A team of researchers from University College Dublin and the University of Ulster's School of Geography have discovered possible clues relating to the construction of Newgrange, the prehistoric monument located in County Meath (Ireland), which is part of the World Heritage Site known as Bru na Boinne.
     They carried out a survey of the bed of the River Boyne, which runs through the site, with some interesting findings. So far the survey has identified over 100 areas/items which merit further investigation, the most exciting of which appears to be the remains of Neolithic log boats and their possible cargo of boulders, which would have been used in the construction of the monument.
     Dr Stephen Davis, of the University College Dublin School of Archaeology, is quoted as saying "These items may or may not be archaeological but we can say for certainty that they don't belong there, they are things that are out of the ordinary and would benefit from further analysis". As well as ground surveys aerial scanning surveys of the river have also been carried out, leading Dr Davis to state that "These analyses highlight the importance of visibility from the river for site placement, especially in regard to the Neolithic passage tombs and timber monuments".

Edited from The Irish Times and Thejournal.ie (4 Nov 2019)