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CHOICE Review

The Boyne River area of east central Ireland is one of the centers of the Irish passage-tomb. These tombs consist of great mounds of earth, incorporating stone passageways and corbeled stone burial chambers. Three of the most impressive passage-tombs-Newgrange, Dowth, and Knowth-are located on a low ridge in the lower Boyne valley, a few kilometers from the Irish Sea. Work by M.J. O'Kelly began at the great earthen mound of Newgrange in the 1960s. There has been little or no recent work on the easternmost site of Douth; however, the western mound at Knowth (built around 3000 BCE) has been excavated by Eogan (University College, Dublin) and his associates over 24 seasons, beginning in 1962. The Knowth mound with its spectacular megalithic art, two massive tomb chambers, and its cluster of satellite tombs is discussed not only in terms of the Boyne River and other Irish Neolithic sites but also those sites in other parts of Western Europe. The book is well illustrated with 11 splendid color plates, 77 black-and-white plates, and many line drawings and maps. The writing is crisp and authoritative; the volume is well organized. A glossary would be helpful since this attractive book will be read by general readers as well as by readers at all academic levels.-C.L. Riley, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale