Wideford Hill settlement – the first evidence of Neolithic timber structures
The Wideford Hill settlement, in use from c3600-2900BC, lies at the north-western foot of the hill, south-west of Crossiecrown and east of the Stonehall settlement. Its discovery and excavation in 2002-2003 revealed a missing chapter …
The Smerquoy Neolithic settlement
Five years after the Wideford Hill settlement excavations, fieldwalking along the hill’s south-western base recovered tantalising evidence a second Neolithic settlement on low ground beneath the nearby chambered cairn …
The Stonehall settlement – part one
Lying in the shadow of the Cuween chambered cairn, the Stonehall settlement lies a few miles to the west of Crossiecrown, Wideford Hill and Smerquoy …
The Stonehall settlement – part two
The section of the Neolithic settlement designated Stonehall Meadow was an area of mounds to the north-east of the Stonehall Knoll, where excavation revealed four Neolithic structures, three of which were in a poor state …
The Stonehall settlement – part three
Excavated over a five-year period, the Stonehall Farm section was the most extensive area of the Neolithic settlement site – “a third location of early Neolithic settlement running parallel with the occupation of Stonehall Knoll …
One of the most puzzling prehistoric features on the Orkney Mainland goes by the name of the Stones of Via. Most accounts over the past two centuries slotted it into one of two categories – …
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 …
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 …
Rinyo Neolithic settlement, Rousay
In the winter of 1937/38, James Yorston was exploring the Braes of Rinyo, Rousay, when he came across stone slabs protruding from the turf. Yorston went on to expose the outline of two structures and …
Halykirk – dolmen or stalled cairn?
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 …
