Around the Ness: The Bookan Chambered Cairn
By Sigurd Towrie 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. Today the Bookan chambered cairn is a...
Category: Chambered Cairns
Around the Ness: Maeshowe – part two
By Sigurd Towrie (Part One here) Based on shared architectural elements, Maeshowe has given its name to a specific class of chambered cairn. Characterised by side cells branching off from a central chamber accessed...
Around the Ness: Maeshowe
“But the most remarkable tumulus in Orkney is situated to the north-east of the Ring of Stenness and is called M’eshoo or Meashowe (sic).” Lieutenant F. W. L. Thomas. Account of some of the...
Around the Ness: Unstan Chambered Cairn
By Sigurd Towrie In the late 19th century, a grassy mound on a headland jutting into the Stenness loch attracted the attention of one of the many antiquarians with their sights on Orkney’s suspected...
Around the Ness: ‘Little Barnhouse’ mound
By Sigurd Towrie Most visitors to the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site will be familiar with Maeshowe. Few, however, will know that what appears to be an equally large chambered cairn stands...
Photographic mastery – Jim Richardson views from around the Ness
In 2012, Jim Richardson visited the Ness to capture images for a planned National Geographic feature article. The resultant images were truly awe-inspiring and today, thanks to Jim’s generosity, we’re able to share a ...
The trouble with Cuween: human remains from Neolithic Orkney
Do we have evidence of ritualised violence at Cuween? A video lecture from Dr Rebecca Crozier, well-known in Orkney for her work at the Quanterness Chambered Cairn, released as part of the University...
Agents of transformation – the role of chambered cairns in Neolithic Orkney
The presence of two styles of Neolithic chambered cairn in Orkney has led to years of debate on their dates, use and development. Here, Sigurd looks at current thinking on Orkney’s cairns, particularly in...