The Age of Mysterious Newgrange
When traveling the countryside of Britain, you may come cross burial mounds (passage graves, cairns, barrows, tumuli, and other names). They are indeed mounds, and locals pay them no nevermind for the most part because they have a passel of them. Megalithic monuments in England such as Stonehenge and Rollright are famous, and it helps that they're out in the open and all. Head north of Stonehenge, then east, and cross the Irish Sea, and you'll eventually reach a somewhat newer entry into the category. In County Meath, Ireland, is a structure known as Newgrange. It was just another lump until the entrance was found in 1699.
New Agers are fond of these structures, which are found on the evidence-free "ley lines". The group Celtic Woman remade the song "Newgrange", originally recorded by Clannad. The song mentions Druids and a forgotten race, but there is really no way of knowing who built Newgrange, and why. The purpose is disputed as well. Burial chamber? Solstice observatory? Both? Something else? The discovery is rather fascinating.
Something worthy of creationary research is the abundance of similar burial mounds all over the world, including stone chambers and mounds in New England. People are puzzled that there may have been communication between ancient Americas and Europe way back yonder. Mayhaps a creationary explanation is that this could be another example of people bringing their memories and legends after the dispersal at Babel? It may be worth a look.
Some archaeologists cogitate that Newgrange is a few hundred years older than Stonehenge. How do they know this? Radiocarbon dating. However, the selected age fits with secular opinions, and creationists want to know if radiocarbon dating is reliable, and how it was calibrated. (The unreliable orbital tuning to calibrate for ice cores method comes to mind.) When assumptions are made before testing, the results are predetermined, so the secular bias rules the day. That's how it works. In reality, a great deal of work needs to be done, without secular assumptions, to determine a more accurate date for Newgrange.
The barrow at Newgrange is a fascinating discovery, and it puzzles archaeologists. Another area of interest is whether the date assigned to it can be reconciled to biblical chronology.
New Agers are fond of these structures, which are found on the evidence-free "ley lines". The group Celtic Woman remade the song "Newgrange", originally recorded by Clannad. The song mentions Druids and a forgotten race, but there is really no way of knowing who built Newgrange, and why. The purpose is disputed as well. Burial chamber? Solstice observatory? Both? Something else? The discovery is rather fascinating.
 |
| Credit: Pixabay / hbieser |
Some archaeologists cogitate that Newgrange is a few hundred years older than Stonehenge. How do they know this? Radiocarbon dating. However, the selected age fits with secular opinions, and creationists want to know if radiocarbon dating is reliable, and how it was calibrated. (The unreliable orbital tuning to calibrate for ice cores method comes to mind.) When assumptions are made before testing, the results are predetermined, so the secular bias rules the day. That's how it works. In reality, a great deal of work needs to be done, without secular assumptions, to determine a more accurate date for Newgrange.
Clearly something is wrong with radiocarbon dates, but what? As an astronomer who analyzes how humans mark time by the regular movement of celestial bodies, I have long wondered whether different branches of science could work together to solve these questions. If we could somehow find a reliable, independent astronomical way to date stone structures, perhaps we could show how older radiocarbon “dates” must be revised to match these more accurate astronomical dates, which are certain to line up with the Bible’s timeline.To read the entire article, click on "Uncovering Assumptions at Newgrange".
The barrow at Newgrange is a fascinating discovery, and it puzzles archaeologists. Another area of interest is whether the date assigned to it can be reconciled to biblical chronology.