Thread by @NMIreland

Today is the Spring or Vernal #Equinox, a day of equal night and day. To celebrate, a tour was due to take place @NMIreland Archaeology. So here instead, is a #TwitterTour by Archaeology Museum Educator, @trisha_ryan, of some facts from the tour #histedchatie #MuseumFromHome

There are many archaeological monuments and artefacts that are connected to solar or celestial symbols, including the Equinox. For thousands of years, people looked to the skies and their environment to help explain the world.

People expressed this in the monuments they built such as passage tombs and stone circles. The passage tomb of #Knowth has 2 tombs, both at due east and west, and is thought to be aligned to the rising and setting sun of the Equinoxes. Images from @newgrangeknowth

The tomb, located 1 km from Newgrange, was excavated by Prof George Eogan. During this time, the Knowth Macehead was discovered in the east passage tomb. It dates to C. 3000 BC, in the Neolithic, and was likely used as a ceremonial object

It is made from flint, most likely from Orkney, and picked because of its red, brown and cream colours. It is decorated with a stylised face. It was likely made using some type of rotary drill, possible with quartz grains to create an abrasive tip.

#Loughcrew is a cluster of passage tombs near #Newgrange. Cairn T, the central tomb, is orientated to the sunrise of the Equinoxes. Many of these tombs are decorated in megalithic art. One of these stones is on display @NMIreland

Some objects from the Bronze Age are regarded as solar symbols. One example is the Lunula, thought to be representations of the moon. Over 80 of these have been found in Ireland, the most famous being the Coggalbeg Hoard

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The sun discs are key solar symbol objects from the Bronze Age and have been extensively studied by Mary Cahill @au_ireland. These are decorated with crosses, circles and zig-zags, liking to the rays of light coming from the sun

The Spring or Vernal Equinox is the first day of astronomical #spring. In Ireland, the first day of Spring is marked by celebrating St. Brigid’s Day on the 1st February. @NMIreland has one reliquary associated to St. Brigid, her shoe shrine

The reliquary dates to around the 16th century but has had a lot of repairs. It is made from latten, a type of copper alloy, and people used it to swear oaths. There is an engraving of John the Baptist on it and is also decorated with engraved leaves

These are just some of the artefacts and topics covered on the tour. Thank you for joining our #TwitterTour and have a happy and safe #SpringEquinox! #MuseumFromHome #NMIOnline #Equinox #histedchatie

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