Orkney
Use attributes for filter ! | |
Population | 22,000 (2017) |
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Points of interest | Skara Brae Prehistoric Village |
Ring of Brodgar | |
University | Orkney College UHI |
Did you know | At least two tartans with Orkney connections have been registered and a tartan has been designed for Sanday by one of the island's residents, and there are pipe bands in Orkney. |
Date of Reg. | |
Date of Upd. | |
ID | 1123497 |
About Orkney
Orkney is an archipelago off the northeastern coast of Scotland. The islands encompass Neolithic sites, tall sandstone cliffs and seal colonies. The 'Heart of Neolithic Orkney' is a group of 5,000-year-old sites on Mainland, the largest island including Skara Brae, a preserved village with a reconstructed house, and Maeshowe, a chambered burial tomb incorporating 12th-century Viking carvings.
Skeletons discovered in rare 5,000-year-old tomb in Orkney
...Archaeologists say they have uncovered the ruins of an " incredibly rare" 5,000-year-old tomb in Orkney...
Possible Mull Viking boat burials to be investigated
... Fragments of a late 10th or 11th Century decorated antler comb and cover, similar to ones found at Norse period sites in Orkney and throughout Scandinavia, were also found...
Tiverton and Honiton: Can the Lib Dems turn a true-blue seat yellow?
... Inside, a crudely sketched map on the wall shows where party volunteers have travelled from - Orkney, Carlisle, Kingston-upon-Hull...
Lib Dems hold off SNP to win Shetland by-election
... The local Westminster seat - Orkney and Shetland - has been held by a Liberal MP of one sort or another for all but 15 of the past 150 years...
Is Orkney the best place to live in the UK?
...The Ring of Brodgar stone circle on the Orkney Islands, on the winter solstice Orkney has taken to life in the top spot in the annual survey ranking the best place in the UK - but is it really? The archipelago is located 10 miles (16km) on Scotland s North coast, is famous for its spectacular landscapes and archaeological treasures but it is the home of nearly 22,000 people, located about 20 inhabited Islands...
Skeletons discovered in rare 5,000-year-old tomb in Orkney
Archaeologists say they have uncovered The Ruins of an " incredibly rare" 5,000-year-old tomb in Orkney .
The Neolithic site at Holm, East Mainland, was largely destroyed by Victorian antiquarians 127 years ago.
Experts from National Museums Scotland (NMS) and Cardiff University rediscovered The Tomb after a search for its precise location.
Despite the damage, the archaeologists have found 14 skeletons of men, women and children.
Individual pieces of human bone were also found.
Local volunteers working with University of Central Lancashire made other finds, including pottery, stone tools and a pin carved from bone.
The three-week excavation led by Dr Hugo Anderson-Whymark, of NMS, and Cardiff's Prof Vicki Cummings has revealed traces of a stone cairn 15m (49ft) in diameter, which had contained a 7m-long (23ft) passage.
The archaeologists said a stone chamber lay at the centre of the cairn, and This Was surrounded by six smaller cells.
It is believed to be a type of tomb only previously recorded 12 other times in Orkney - Islands famed for Neolithic Archaeology - and considered to be the " pinnacle" of Neolithic engineering in Scotland.
Much of The Site at Holm was damaged by antiquarians, without any records being made of what they found. Stones were also removed for building work.
Dr Anderson-Whymark said: " Orkney is exceptionally rich in Archaeology , but we never expected to find a tomb of this size in a such a small-scale excavation.
" It's incredible to think this once impressive monument was nearly lost without record, but fortunately just enough stonework has survived for us to be able understand the size, form and construction of this tomb. '
Prof Cummings added: " 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 .
" It is incredibly rare to find these tomb deposits, even in well-preserved chambered tombs and these remains will enable new insights into all aspects of these peoples' lives. "
Related TopicsSource of news: bbc.com