Nestled amidst the North Atlantic Ocean, the Orkney archipelago off the coast of Scotland is renowned for its captivating blend of natural beauty and profound historical significance. Renowned for its wealth of archaeological treasures, Orkney has long captivated the imaginations of historians and enthusiasts alike. Recent excavations have unveiled yet another remarkable discovery, a 5,000-year-old tomb harboring the skeletal remains of 14 individuals, offering a poignant window into the lives of Orkney’s prehistoric inhabitants.
Archaeologists have discovered a rare 5,000-year-old tomb containing the articulated remains Mainland, Orkney. It consists of a stone cairn 49 feet in diameter at the end of 23-foot-long stone passage. Six smaller chambers adjoin the central cairn. This is a “Maes Howe-type” passage grave; only 12 others of this type of tomb are known on Orkney. Built with corbelled stone roofs that narrowed as they rose, Maes Howe tombs are considered the pinnacle of Neolithic engineering in northern Britain.
This masterpiece of prehistoric construction was almost destroyed without a trace. It is flat now, the towering height that once would have dominated the landscape lost to stone thieves in the 18th and 19th centuries. Then in 1896, the son of a local farmer dug around the site, uncovering some remains of walls, a macehead and ball and eight skeletons. The finds were reported in a local paper as the ruins of a “chambered cairn,” but it was a passing reference with no specific location information.
Dr Hugo Anderson-Whymark, senior curator of Neolithic prehistory at the National Museums Scotland, came across the 1896 report and decided to seek out the tomb. A geophysical survey helped pinpoint the possible location of the tomb. A team of local volunteers and students led by Anderson-Whymark and Prof Vicki Cummings of Cardiff University hit paydirt and excavated the tomb in a targeted three-week dig.
Archaeologists found 14 articulated skeletons of men, women and children in one of the smaller side rooms, according to the museum. These well-preserved skeletons, estimated to date back between 3,000 and 3,500 BCE, offer invaluable insights into the physical characteristics and demographics of Orkney’s prehistoric population.
Alongside the skeletal remains, a treasure trove of accompanying artifacts emerged from the tomb’s depths. These artifacts, including stone tools, adornments, and pottery, serve as tangible links to the material culture and daily lives of Orkney’s Neolithic inhabitants. Each object whispers tales of craftsmanship, trade, and the beliefs that shaped their world.
“The preservation of so many human remains in one part of the monument is amazing, especially since the stone has been mostly robbed for building material,” Vicki Cummings, head of Cardiff University’s School of History, Archaeology and Religion, said in a statement.
The unearthing of this 5,000-year-old tomb and its accompanying skeletons ranks as a landmark archaeological discovery, profoundly enriching our understanding of Orkney’s prehistoric past. The sheer number of individuals interred within the tomb suggests the existence of a thriving, closely knit community on Orkney during the Neolithic era. Moreover, the tomb’s architectural sophistication highlights the advanced engineering capabilities of these early inhabitants.
Compared to other archaeological discoveries in the region, this tomb stands out for its exceptional age and remarkable scale. This distinction underscores its significance in understanding the trajectory of social development on Orkney. The tomb’s unique characteristics and accompanying artifacts set it apart as a cornerstone of Orkney’s prehistoric narrative.
