This fourth volume in the Excavations at Knowth series evaluates the historical role of Knowth and the Brugh na Boinne complex. It explores the history, settlement and society of Knowth and the wider Bru na Boinne district, from the emergence of political power in the Boyne Valley to the beginning of the 21st century. The first chapter deals with the earliest references to the region in the seventh and eight centuries as an important place within the kingdom of North Brega and as, from the 8th century, its royal residence. Chapter 1 also considers the ogham and vernacular inscriptions...