Video: Heart of Neolithic Orkney
A walk through the Stone Age monuments and villages of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, courtesy of UNESCO.
Some of the oldest and best preserved Stone Age sites in Europe can be found in remote parts of the British Isles. Scotland’s far northern Orkney Islands contain one of the most impressive of these sites, the Heart of Neolithic Orkney. The monuments found here on the islands’ Mainland are similar to those at places like Stonehenge and Newgrange and from around the same time, 3000 BCE.
The Neolithic sites on Orkney are notable not only for their age, but for the diversity of structures preserved. Besides two standing stone rings, archaeologists have also uncovered the village of Skara Brae and the chamber tomb of Maeshowe. Skara Brae is an exceptionally complete Stone Age village, consisting of eight houses connected by stone passages. Once unburied, the houses revealed remnants of the ancient people who once farmed along the shore. Their homes contained stone beds and dressers, utensils, and animal-derived jewelry.
No one is quite sure why Skara Brae’s residents abandoned their village, seemingly without even packing their belongings. But over time, the village slowly disappeared beneath sand and soil, waiting to be rediscovered. This video courtesy of UNESCO highlights the monuments and village of Neolithic Orkney, taking us back 5,000 years to a time that might seem surprisingly familiar.
References
“Heart of Neolithic Orkney.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO, whc.unesco.org/en/list/514/.
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