Category: Chambered Cairns
As regular readers will have noted, 19th century antiquarians were very keen to find evidence of dolmens in Orkney. Haleykirk/Helyakirk/Halykirk/Holykirk lies about a quarter of a mile to the south-east of the megalithic quarries on Vestrafiold, on the hill of Cruaday.
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At some point in the Neolithic a small, multi-chambered structure was built on high ground at the north-western end of the Ness of Brodgar.
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North of the Unstan stalled cairn is an enigmatic earthwork that separates the landward side of the Ness of Onston from the headland.
This arc of two banks and ditches runs across the width of the headland, demarcating an area to the north that is now devoid of features or visible archaeological remains.
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The Stones of Stenness. (📷 Tim Winterburn)Melvyn Bragg is joined by Professor Vicki Cummings (University of Central Lancashire), Professor Julian Thomas (University of Manchester) and Susan Greaney (University of Exeter)…
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As we saw last time, the closure of the Crantit chamber left little or nothing visible above ground. But people came back, suggesting the site was marked and memories or traditions of its role persisted. We know this because centuries after the ancient site was sealed it became a focus for at least three Bronze Age burials.
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In April 1998, the discovery of a prehistoric chambered tomb on the outskirts of Kirkwall caused great excitement in archaeological circles.
The Crantit chamber had lain undisturbed for millennia so hopes were high that it would contain the untouched remains of early Orcadians.
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Across the waters of the Harray loch, just over two miles north-east of the Ness of Brodgar complex, is one of the few known Orcadian examples of a Neolithic long horned cairn.
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Ahead of planned agricultural improvements, the prehistoric site at Howe was excavated from 1978 until 1982 – an operation that revealed a complex series of occupation episodes spanning the Neolithic to Iron Age.
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3d model of the Vinquoy chambered cairn, Eday, Orkney.New 3d models of chambered cairns now available to explore as part of the UHI Archaeology Institute’s Tombs of the Isles project.…
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Like the many Neolithic chambered cairns throughout Orkney, the Sandfiold cist was clearly meant to be, and was, re-used. Few Orcadian cairns have been found to contain human remains, strongly suggesting that they were not the final destination for all the Neolithic dead.
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The Quanterness passage grave is the third in a series of three found in a three-mile stretch of countryside between Kirkwall and Finstown.
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Just under three miles to the east of Cuween Hill, on the steep, upper slopes of Wideford Hill, is a second Neolithic passage grave.
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The Cuween cairn is built on an artificial terrace on the upper slopes of Cuween Hill's eastern side. Cuween is a Maeshowe-type cairn consisting of a “roughly rectangular” central chamber with four smaller cells branching off from each side.
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Evidence calls into question many assumptions surrounding chambered cairns and, indeed, Neolithic architecture. Not all structures were meant to be the steadfast edifices.
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