‘Expedient architecture’ and the Neolithic long cairns of Orkney Part one available here By Sigurd Towrie Point of Cott, Westray, Orkney Under threat of destruction, due to coastal erosion, the long cairn at the...
‘Expedient architecture’ and the Neolithic long cairns of Orkney Part One By Sigurd Towrie Visitors to the Ness of Brodgar dig will probably have heard “surface over substance” used to describe the construction of...
“A slightly different form of expansion may be present at Howe, Stromness, Mainland, where two buildings initially interpreted as a stalled tomb and mortuary house, due to the presence of hearths, can be confidently...
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...
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...
“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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...