Navan Prehistoric Complex, Navan, N Ireland

Navan Fort (Emain Macha) is a ceremonial monument located near Armagh, Northern Ireland. According to tradition it was one of the great royal sites of pre-Christian Ireland & the capital of the Ulaidh. It features prominently in Irish mythology, especially in the tales of the Ulster Cycle. The site consists of a large circular hilltop enclosure—marked by a bank and ditch—inside which is a circular mound and the remains of a ring barrow. Archeological investigations show that there were once buildings on the site including a huge roundhouse-like structure which has been likened to a temple. In a ritual act, this timber structure was filled with stones, deliberately burnt down & then covered with earth to create the mound which stands today. Navan Fort is the heart of the larger 'Navan complex', which also includes the ancient sites of Haughey's Fort (an earlier hilltop enclosure), the King's Stables (a manmade ritual pool) & Loughnashade (a lake which has yielded votive offerings). LiDAR data from OpenDataNI