Aerial Investigation And Mapping Of The — Newgran...

The aerial investigation and mapping of the Newgrange landscape have fundamentally reshaped our understanding of the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site, evolving it from a collection of isolated passage tombs into a vast, interconnected ritual complex. For decades, the focus remained on the monumental stone cairns of Newgrange, Knowth, and Dowth. However, modern technologies like LiDAR and drone photography have revealed that these famous mounds were merely the centerpieces of a high-density "cult center". These investigations have unmasked hundreds of subsurface features—timber henges, palisades, and processional avenues—that remain invisible to the naked eye but define a sophisticated prehistoric society. The 2018 "Dronehenge" Discovery