Newgrange
Food preservation station
Newgrange Ireland (constructed 3200-3100 BCE)
I argue was used for food preservation. Of the different types of stone used, Sandstone (Greywacke) is the most absorbent of the stones used and made up the interior passages where food was kept. Granite is the best of the bunch at maintaining that dryness and also keeping area cool. The use of these specific stones in the inner areas make sense for food preservation. Granite is used in exterior as well, along with Quartz, Grandiorite and Gabbro which are particularly good at withstanding weathering.
Newgrange passageway and chamber lights up with direct sunlight for 17 minutes on December 21st. If the intention of Newgrange was to eliminate sun all together it would have been positioned NW to SW or W to E. However it aligns NE to SE. It allows for indirect light at morning and late afternoon which could provide some visibility if entering during those times. But it fully illuminates on the solstice. This could be intentional for entering and retrieving food that was stored during harvest, or it could have been circumstantial.
The structure is rodent protected and camouflaged from outsiders. Remains of humans also used potentially as protection and/or for warding off thieves.
Many animal remains of all kind were found, however the majority of which were cattle and pig. There was also presence of wheat and barley.
“Woodman (1985) developed this view of the faunal material and associated economy and suggested that the Boyne Valley was used seasonally by mobile communities through the Middle and Later Neolithic. Cooney (1987;1991) has disagreed with these positions, as well as previous views of the shifting nature of Neolithic agriculture in temperate climates, and argued instead that the Boyne Valley could have supported a large sedentary and stable population throughout the Neolithic.”- Aspects of Ritual Deposition in the Late Neolithic and Beaker Periods at Newgrange, Co. Meath By Charles Mount
Like Cooney, I believe the community was likely large, sedentary and stable not unlike the community of Stonehenge.
I will add more supporting evidence as I find it.