Cruciform passage grave facts for kids

Cruciform passage graves are ancient burial sites. They are a special type of passage grave found in places like Ireland, west Wales, and Orkney. People built them a very long time ago, during the late Neolithic period, starting around 3500 BC. These amazing structures are known for their unique cross-shaped design.

What Are Cruciform Passage Graves?

Cruciform passage graves are prehistoric monuments. They were built by ancient people to bury their dead. The word "cruciform" means "cross-shaped," which describes how these graves look from above. They are some of the most complex and impressive ancient buildings found in these regions.

What Do They Look Like?

Imagine a long tunnel leading into a main room. This main room often has a special ceiling called a corbelled roof. A corbelled roof is made by stacking stones inward, one on top of the other, until they meet at the top to form a dome or cone shape.

From this central room, three other burial chambers extend outwards. This creates the distinct cross shape when you look at the layout from above. Some of these graves are even more complex, with smaller rooms branching off from the three main chambers.

The entire network of rooms and passages is covered by a large mound of stones called a cairn. Around the base of the cairn, there is often a border of large stones called a kerb. This kerb helps to hold the cairn in place and gives the monument a neat edge.

Amazing Ancient Art

Many cruciform passage graves feature incredible ancient art. This art is carved directly into the large stones that make up the walls and roofs of the chambers. The artists often used abstract designs. You can see patterns like spirals, zig-zags, and wavy lines. These carvings are a fascinating glimpse into the minds of the people who built these monuments thousands of years ago.

Where Can We Find Them?

These special graves are found in specific parts of Europe. The most famous examples are:

• Newgrange in Ireland: This is one of the most well-known and impressive examples.
• Maeshowe in Orkney, Scotland: Another incredible site with detailed carvings.
• Barclodiad y Gawres in Anglesey, west Wales: This site also shows the classic cross-shaped design.

These sites are important because they tell us a lot about the beliefs and building skills of people from the Stone Age.