passage grave

noun

, Archaeology.

1. a megalithic tomb of the Neolithic and Copper or early Bronze ages found in the British Isles and Europe, consisting of a roofed burial chamber and narrow entrance passage covered by a round mound and containing human remains and funerary offerings.

Word History and Origins

Origin of passage grave¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

The monumental Neolithic passage grave at Newgrange is aligned with sunrise around the time of the winter solstice, and Maes Howe on Orkney is lined up with sunset on that day.

From The Guardian

Evidence for the grim scenario came to light when scientists ran genetic tests on a 20-year-old woman from a rural farming community who was among 78 people buried in a passage grave in Gökhem in western Sweden.

From The Guardian

Excavation now suggests the site had significance for prehistoric people that lasted for millennia after the earth mound was raised over a stone passage grave.

From The Guardian

La Pastora dolmen in Valencina boasts the longest corridor ever discovered in a passage grave in Europe, while its sister Matarrubilla houses a stone altar inside its burial chamber offering clues into the funerary rituals of early settlers.

From Reuters

And more serious if possible than Monsieur Beauchamp was Doris herself, facing him from the opposite side of the passage; grave, indeed, as any wood nymph performing some sacred rite in a sylvan temple.

From Project Gutenberg