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Orkney Riddler<p>This is a short telling of the journey of the Orkney <a href="https://c.im/tags/Vole" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Vole</span></a>. <br>It is the story of how a European species of rodent, the Orkney Vole, travelled from Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands to Orkney over 5,000 years ago, without actually setting foot in Britain. <br>No convincing explanation for this phenomenon has been researched or provided.<br>To understand how this was possible,&nbsp; the formations on the floor of the North Sea must be explained. <br>At the end of the ice age the North Sea didn't really exist. There was a deep trench along the Norwegian Coast called the Norwegian Channel,&nbsp; and deep water features along the east coast of England and Scotland. <br>Between those deep water coastal features was a ridge of land linking the well-known Doggerland in the southern North Sea to the now-removed Land-East-of-Shetland.<br>There was no direct access from the <a href="https://c.im/tags/Atlantic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Atlantic</span></a> Oceanic waters through the Dover Strait,&nbsp;&nbsp; or between Scotland and Orkney,&nbsp; or between Orkney and Shetland. <br>Animals, and people, were able to walk from mainland Europe onto Doggerland until 10,000BP when rising seas connected deep water on the English coast with the Norwegian Channel around the south coast of Dogger Bank. <br>Animals inhabiting Doggerland,&nbsp; and the Land-East-of-Shetland would have been able to migrate from mainland Europe to Orkney without passing through Britain.<br>The Orkney Vole was one of those animals that did. </p><p>At about 3000BC,&nbsp; as rising sea-levels surged down the Norwegian Channel,&nbsp; and through the Dover Strait,&nbsp; the narrowest region of land separating <a href="https://c.im/tags/Doggerland" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Doggerland</span></a> from Land-East-of-<a href="https://c.im/tags/Shetland" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Shetland</span></a> collapsed. <br>This event was followed by the swift removal of loose sands and gravels from the whole of the northern North Sea. <br>In this process, land bridges joining Scotland to Orkney and Orkney to Shetland were removed.<br>People who had been nomadic shepherds living in Orkney for summer months were denied access to the place where they had built stone circles, and Cairns.<br>Some people remained on Orkney,&nbsp; either by accident or on purpose. They were marooned on the islands and as a result they set about developing the more permanent and weatherproof settlements of Skara Brae and the Ness of Brodgar. <br>A detailed account, with substantial evidence is in the blog:-<br><a href="http://orkneyriddler.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-orkney-riddle.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">http://</span><span class="ellipsis">orkneyriddler.blogspot.com/202</span><span class="invisible">5/04/the-orkney-riddle.html</span></a><br><a href="https://c.im/tags/Orkney" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Orkney</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Neolithic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Neolithic</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/northsea" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>northsea</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Orkneyvole" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Orkneyvole</span></a></p>
Orkney Riddler<p>My blog is a bit long, so probably off-putting.&nbsp; <br>It attempts to "prove" that people were walking from Scotland to Orkney in the early part of the <a href="https://c.im/tags/Neolithic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Neolithic</span></a> period.<br>In extensive and detailed research I have found a series of observations derived from other peoples work that, put together,&nbsp; may be enough to prove that there was walkable land from Doggerland north to the Shetlands,&nbsp; and also from <a href="https://c.im/tags/Orkney" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Orkney</span></a> to Caithness. </p><p>In brief , there is evidence of a passage of land leading from <a href="https://c.im/tags/Dogger" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Dogger</span></a> Bank to a location in the north of the North Sea where a flint artefact was found half way between Shetland and Norway. <br>There is also evidence that that land collapsed towards the Norwegian Coast in 3000BC. </p><p>On Orkney, Barnhouse and many other small settlements across mainland Orkney are all shallow sites that are clearly not designed to be occupied in an Orkney winter. These settlements were all abandoned before 3000BC. </p><p>My only assumption is that when land in the North of the North Sea was lost so also was a bridge between South Ronaldsay on Orkney,&nbsp; and Caithness, north Scotland. </p><p>The Stones of <a href="https://c.im/tags/Stenness" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Stenness</span></a> and Ring of <a href="https://c.im/tags/Brodgar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Brodgar</span></a> were abandoned, unfinished, probably at 3000BC. <br>The Westray islands are abandoned at 3000BC, and not colonised again until the second half of the 3rd millennium BC. <br><a href="https://c.im/tags/Skara" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Skara</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Brae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Brae</span></a>, and the <a href="https://c.im/tags/Ness" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Ness</span></a> of <a href="https://c.im/tags/Brodgar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Brodgar</span></a>, both have dated deposits from before 3000BC indicating there was some kind of occupation until then, but not till after 3000BC are the revolutionary solid structures with stone lined drains and other necessary amenities for winter weather designed and constructed. <br>The structures at the Ness of Brodgar were made of wood, largely, so they would not have lasted long, a couple of generations perhaps.<br>The dates of the human bones found in the cairns are largely assessed to before 3000BC, and the dates of the animal bones, also in the cairns, which were arguably being eaten by people, are largely after 3000BC. <br>This suggests that when a few groups of people isolated from mainland Britain lost the structural secuity of their solidly built structures, they may have sought desperate refuge in the cairns.<br>Temporary visitors returned,&nbsp; by newly developed boats, in the second half of the 3rd millennium BC. </p><p>Detailed, if longwinded, analysis is in the blog:-</p><p><a href="http://orkneyriddler.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-orkney-riddle.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">http://</span><span class="ellipsis">orkneyriddler.blogspot.com/202</span><span class="invisible">5/04/the-orkney-riddle.html</span></a></p><p><a href="https://c.im/tags/archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Orkney" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Orkney</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Neolithic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Neolithic</span></a></p>
Orkney Riddler<p>In “Beside the Ocean of Time: a chronology of Neolithic <a href="https://c.im/tags/burial" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>burial</span></a>, <a href="https://c.im/tags/Monuments" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Monuments</span></a> and houses in Orkney”, Seren Griffiths lists the carbon dates of human bones from 10 Orkney cairns. The cumulative data for these skeletal remains demonstrates that about 75% of the people lain in the cairns died roughly before 3000BC, the rest of them died later, mostly through the 3rd millennium BC. Similar findings are suggested by dating of <a href="https://c.im/tags/skeletons" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>skeletons</span></a> in Scotland and England, and it is likely that the fall in numbers of bodies in cairns is, as much as anything, because after a couple of hundred years of existence the cairns were in poor condition, and often collapsing, making them sometimes risky places to enter.<br>Personally, I could never believe that the purpose of cairns was for the storage of corpses. Clearly in later millennia they were regarded as suitable sites for depositing cremated remains and the like.<br>Later burials seem to be dug into the perifery of the monuments, or a later addition. <br>In the few examples of funerary monuments that I've seen it's only special sites like Sutton Hoo that are obviously built with the intention of burying bodies.<br>See more in the Orkney Riddle blog:- <a href="http://orkneyriddler.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-orkney-riddle.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">http://</span><span class="ellipsis">orkneyriddler.blogspot.com/202</span><span class="invisible">5/04/the-orkney-riddle.html</span></a><br><a href="https://c.im/tags/Orkney" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Orkney</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Neolithic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Neolithic</span></a> #<a href="https://c.im/tags/prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/cairns" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>cairns</span></a></p>
Orkney Riddler<p>I could never quite believe that Neolithic people came to Orkney by boat.<br>As it is thought that they brought cattle and sheep with them, I could not envisage any animal, or any human, surviving a sea crossing of any British tidal waters in any prehistoric vessel. <br>Standard sources tie themselves in knots to persuade us that Neolithic people had boats that could carry beasts of both sexes that, once landed, would reproduce and help their tribe to survive on the unknown territory across the dangerous waters. <br>However, evidence has recently emerged that added another dimension to the problem. It was discovered that the Orkney Vole, a species that is unique to the archipelago, had been found by DNA analysis, to originate from northern Europe, and that it was not directly related to the common vole in Britain. (Thomas Cucchi et al) <br>This meant that the animal that arrived in Orkney did not pass through England, Wales or Scotland. <br>A vole arriving in Orkney, from Europe, without passing through Britain was a clue that all was not as it seems, and that in spite of the insistence of some that voles may have been carried as pets or food items, another possibility was probably more likely. <br>I therefore rather assumed that it must be necessary to question what places were passable around the coasts of Neolithic Britain, which areas were land, and which places were water, and when did land areas stop being land. <br>It is understood that much of the southern North Sea area was land at some point in the past. A piece of shallow sea called Dogger Bank has been named Doggerland as artefacts of 8000 years of age, and older, are frequently dredged up there. The rise in sea level which has occurred since the last ice age has clearly flooded lands here, but which lands, where, and when? <br>The obvious location, or so I thought, for a route to Orkney from Europe , that would be passable for small rodents, on foot, and avoiding England and Scotland, would be somewhere in the middle of the North Sea which, of course, is a bizarre idea. <br>Indeed, it was such a bizarre idea that I followed it, to see where it took me. <br>The result of my research can be seen in my blog:-</p><p><a href="http://orkneyriddler.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-orkney-riddle.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">http://</span><span class="ellipsis">orkneyriddler.blogspot.com/202</span><span class="invisible">5/04/the-orkney-riddle.html</span></a></p><p><a href="https://c.im/tags/Orkney" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Orkney</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Neolithic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Neolithic</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Brodgar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Brodgar</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/nessofbrodgar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>nessofbrodgar</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Skara" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Skara</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/skarabrae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>skarabrae</span></a>&nbsp; <a href="https://c.im/tags/barnhouse" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>barnhouse</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/knapofhowar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>knapofhowar</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/linksofnoltland" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>linksofnoltland</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Noltland" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Noltland</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/cairns" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>cairns</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Maeshowe" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Maeshowe</span></a></p>
Sté préhistorique française<p>Since 1904, the *Bulletin de la société préhistorique française* (BSPF) is a leading scientific journal for Prehistoric archaeology. <br>Submit your paper!</p><p>(open access without APC)<br><a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>prehistory</span></a></p>
Orkney Riddler<p>Skara Brae<br>Historic Environment Scotland, Statement Of Significance, Skara Brae <br>“The excavated remains of Skara Brae, as currently presented, consist of a tightly clustered grouping of stone-built structures connected by narrow passageways.&nbsp; The structures, many of which are interpreted as houses, have internal fittings of stone. There were two main phases of building and occupation in the development of the settlement, with a gap relating to the probable abandonment of the settlement due to inundation by sand. <br>Individual buildings were, at first, freestanding, with open passageways between them. Some of the passageways were subsequently roofed over, creating the passages visible today. <br>Skara Brae was occupied at various times – not continuously – from the late fourth Millennium to the mid-third millennium BC (with sporadic activity after that). Recent Bayesian modelling of radiocarbon dates has indicated that while occupation on the site started at some time between 3360 and 3160 cal BC (with the inhabitants using pottery that was probably round-based: Phase 0), the earliest houses that survive today (Phase 1) were constructed in the early third millennium BC (from 2920–2885 Cal BC).<br>After less than a century of occupation – possibly as short a period as 50 years, that means two generations – the settlement seems to have been abandoned (probably as a result of inundation by sand), around 2870–2760 cal BC. It was then reoccupied, with new houses being built and some old houses being remodelled (early House 7, for example), within the time frame of 2840–2685 cal BC and remained in use until 2545–2440 cal BC. After its abandonment, there are hints of ‘squatting’-like activity at various times including the Iron Age (as demonstrated by, amongst other things, a horse tooth bead radiocarbon dated to 170 cal BC–cal AD 10, SUERC-40339, 2060±30 BP).<br>Activity after the settlement’s abandonment also included the deposition of human remains at various times, with some of the disarticulated bones found during the nineteenth century having recently been radiocarbon dated (for Whittle and Bayliss’ The Times of Their Lives project and for Rick Schulting) to the late third to early second millennium BC – the time when beaker pottery was in use in Orkney."<br>Whatever happened through the 3rd millennium BC, the data, as expressed here shows a surprisingly clear separation between the occupation of Skara Brae before 3000BC, and the development after, again suggesting that something happened at that date affecting how the inhabitants of Orkney could live. <br><a href="https://c.im/tags/neolithic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>neolithic</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/skarabrae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>skarabrae</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Skara" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Skara</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Brae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Brae</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/C14" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>C14</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Orkney" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Orkney</span></a></p>
Marcial Tenreiro-Bermudez<p>Archaeoethnologica: SPAL Nº 34/1 - 2025</p><p>+INFO in: <a href="https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/03/spal-n-341-2025.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">archaeoethnologica.blogspot.co</span><span class="invisible">m/2025/03/spal-n-341-2025.html</span></a></p><p><a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Protohistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Protohistory</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/ClassicalArchaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ClassicalArchaeology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/IronAge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IronAge</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/neolithic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>neolithic</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Gallaecia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Gallaecia</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Iberia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Iberia</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/settlement" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>settlement</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/gender" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gender</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/celtiberians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>celtiberians</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/iberians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>iberians</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/hillforts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>hillforts</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/journals" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>journals</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/openaccess" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>openaccess</span></a></p>
Marcial Tenreiro-Bermudez<p>Archaeoethnologica: SPAL Nº 34/1 - 2025</p><p>+INFO in: <a href="https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/03/spal-n-341-2025.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">archaeoethnologica.blogspot.co</span><span class="invisible">m/2025/03/spal-n-341-2025.html</span></a></p><p><a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Protohistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Protohistory</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/ClassicalArchaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ClassicalArchaeology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/IronAge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IronAge</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/neolithic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>neolithic</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Gallaecia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Gallaecia</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Iberia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Iberia</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/settlement" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>settlement</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/gender" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gender</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/celtiberians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>celtiberians</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/iberians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>iberians</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/hillforts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>hillforts</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/journals" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>journals</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/openaccess" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>openaccess</span></a></p>
Marcial Tenreiro-Bermudez<p>Archaeoethnologica: SPAL Nº 34/1 - 2025</p><p>+INFO in: <a href="https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/03/spal-n-341-2025.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">archaeoethnologica.blogspot.co</span><span class="invisible">m/2025/03/spal-n-341-2025.html</span></a></p><p><a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Protohistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Protohistory</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/ClassicalArchaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ClassicalArchaeology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/IronAge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IronAge</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/neolithic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>neolithic</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Gallaecia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Gallaecia</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Iberia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Iberia</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/settlement" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>settlement</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/gender" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gender</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/celtiberians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>celtiberians</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/iberians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>iberians</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/hillforts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>hillforts</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/journals" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>journals</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/openaccess" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>openaccess</span></a></p>
Marcial Tenreiro-Bermudez<p>Archaeoethnologica: SPAL Nº 34/1 - 2025</p><p>+INFO in: <a href="https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/03/spal-n-341-2025.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">archaeoethnologica.blogspot.co</span><span class="invisible">m/2025/03/spal-n-341-2025.html</span></a></p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Protohistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Protohistory</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ClassicalArchaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ClassicalArchaeology</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/IronAge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IronAge</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/neolithic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>neolithic</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Gallaecia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Gallaecia</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Iberia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Iberia</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/settlement" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>settlement</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gender" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gender</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/celtiberians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>celtiberians</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/iberians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>iberians</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/hillforts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>hillforts</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/journals" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>journals</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/openaccess" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>openaccess</span></a></p>
Marcial Tenreiro-Bermudez<p>Archaeoethnologica: SPAL Nº 34/1 - 2025</p><p>+INFO in: <a href="https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/03/spal-n-341-2025.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">archaeoethnologica.blogspot.co</span><span class="invisible">m/2025/03/spal-n-341-2025.html</span></a></p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Protohistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Protohistory</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ClassicalArchaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ClassicalArchaeology</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/IronAge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IronAge</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/neolithic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>neolithic</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Gallaecia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Gallaecia</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Iberia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Iberia</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/settlement" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>settlement</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gender" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gender</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/celtiberians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>celtiberians</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/iberians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>iberians</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/hillforts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>hillforts</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/journals" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>journals</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/openaccess" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>openaccess</span></a></p>
Marcial Tenreiro-Bermudez<p>Archaeoethnologica: European Journal of Archaeology Nº 28/1 - 2025</p><p>+INFO in: <a href="https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/04/european-journal-of-archaeology-n-281.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">archaeoethnologica.blogspot.co</span><span class="invisible">m/2025/04/european-journal-of-archaeology-n-281.html</span></a></p><p><a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Europe" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Europe</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Iberia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Iberia</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Caucasus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Caucasus</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/America" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>America</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/eneolithic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>eneolithic</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Medieval" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Medieval</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/historiography" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>historiography</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/osteology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>osteology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/journals" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>journals</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Britain" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Britain</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/openaccess" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>openaccess</span></a></p>
Orkney Riddler<p>The Knap of Howar settlement site on Papa Westray was excavated by Anna Ritchie and reported in “Excavation of a Neolithic farmstead at Knap of Howar, Papa Westray, Orkney” <br>Seren Griffiths’ record of carbon dating for the Knap of Howar in “Beside the Ocean of Time: a chronology of Neolithic burial Monuments and houses in Orkney”&nbsp; demonstrates that most of the reliable dates from the site more or less pre-date approximately 3000BC. <br>Barbara Noddle , in an appendix to Anne Ritchie’s report,&nbsp; wrote the animal bone report for the site. Her description of the stature of the Knap of Howar pig , the only radiocarbon dated prehistoric pig found on Orkney, suggests that it was probably a wild boar, a fearsome creature that was always common in the British Isles, was hunted to extinction in the middle ages, and has been reintroduced in some parts of England. <br>The radiocarbon date for the bones of this animal suggest that it must have died at around 3500BC, which was some 200 years or so before the earliest sheep bones appear.&nbsp; It is therefore possible that the first Neolithic visitors to Westray were not accompanied by livestock at all, but that they killed a wild pig that came across their path, and that only later did shepherds bring sheep to Orkney. <br><a href="https://c.im/tags/Orkney" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Orkney</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Neolithic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Neolithic</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>archaeology</span></a></p>
Marcial Tenreiro-Bermudez<p>Archaeoethnologica: Numbers, Measures &amp; Exchange in Prehistory - Book / Números, Medidas e intercâmbio na Pré-história - Livro</p><p>+INFO in: <a href="https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/03/numeros-medidas-e-intercambio-na-pre.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">archaeoethnologica.blogspot.co</span><span class="invisible">m/2025/03/numeros-medidas-e-intercambio-na-pre.html</span></a></p><p><a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Anthropology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Anthropology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/EconomicAnthropology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>EconomicAnthropology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/ethnoarchaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ethnoarchaeology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/BronzeAge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>BronzeAge</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/IronAge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IronAge</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/mesures" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mesures</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/economy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>economy</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/books" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>books</span></a></p>
Marcial Tenreiro-Bermudez<p>Archaeoethnologica: Numbers, Measures &amp; Exchange in Prehistory - Book / Números, Medidas e intercâmbio na Pré-história - Livro</p><p>+INFO in: <a href="https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/03/numeros-medidas-e-intercambio-na-pre.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">archaeoethnologica.blogspot.co</span><span class="invisible">m/2025/03/numeros-medidas-e-intercambio-na-pre.html</span></a></p><p><a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Anthropology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Anthropology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/EconomicAnthropology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>EconomicAnthropology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/ethnoarchaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ethnoarchaeology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/BronzeAge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>BronzeAge</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/IronAge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IronAge</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/mesures" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mesures</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/economy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>economy</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/books" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>books</span></a></p>
Marcial Tenreiro-Bermudez<p>Archaeoethnologica: Numbers, Measures &amp; Exchange in Prehistory - Book / Números, Medidas e intercâmbio na Pré-história - Livro</p><p>+INFO in: <a href="https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/03/numeros-medidas-e-intercambio-na-pre.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">archaeoethnologica.blogspot.co</span><span class="invisible">m/2025/03/numeros-medidas-e-intercambio-na-pre.html</span></a></p><p><a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Anthropology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Anthropology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/Prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/EconomicAnthropology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>EconomicAnthropology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/ethnoarchaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ethnoarchaeology</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/BronzeAge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>BronzeAge</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/IronAge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IronAge</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/mesures" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mesures</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/economy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>economy</span></a> <a href="https://archaeo.social/tags/books" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>books</span></a></p>
Marcial Tenreiro-Bermudez<p>Archaeoethnologica: Numbers, Measures &amp; Exchange in Prehistory - Book / Números, Medidas e intercâmbio na Pré-história - Livro</p><p>+INFO in: <a href="https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/03/numeros-medidas-e-intercambio-na-pre.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">archaeoethnologica.blogspot.co</span><span class="invisible">m/2025/03/numeros-medidas-e-intercambio-na-pre.html</span></a></p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Anthropology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Anthropology</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/EconomicAnthropology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>EconomicAnthropology</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ethnoarchaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ethnoarchaeology</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/BronzeAge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>BronzeAge</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/IronAge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IronAge</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/mesures" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mesures</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/economy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>economy</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/books" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>books</span></a></p>
Orkney Riddler<p>Among the midden deposits that were sampled at the knap of Howar a huge range of skeletal materials were recognised including fish bones, crustaceans, and the following exhaustive list of birds:-<br>Black Throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Little Grebe, Fulmar, Manx Shearwater, Gannet, Cormorant, Shag, Velvet Scoter, Eider Duck, Shelduck, Grey lag Goose, Barnacle Goose, Whooper Swan, Buzzard, Spotted Crake, Corn Crake, Oyster catcher, Grey Plover, Turnstone, Snipe, Curlew, Redshank, Great Skua, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Common Gull, Sandwich Tern, Razorbill, Great Auk, Guillemot, Puffin, Skylark, Raven, Thrush,&nbsp; and Starling, <br>The variety of species suggests that the people ate anything that they could catch.<br><a href="https://c.im/tags/Orkney" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Orkney</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Neolithic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Neolithic</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>archaeology</span></a> #<a href="https://c.im/tags/prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>prehistory</span></a></p>
Orkney Riddler<p>The Knap of Howar sits on a small island called Papa Westray which is one of the northernmost islands of the Orkney group. The island is almost 7 km long and 2 km wide, and the Knap of Howar lies on its west coast. <br>The coast of neighbouring Westray is less than 2km away across a sound that is in places no more than 7m deep, and it is likely that in Neolithic times the two islands were still joined together. <br>The two oblong buildings of the Knap of Howar, are thought to represent a dwelling-house and a multipurpose workshop-cum-barn, built side by side with an interconnecting passage allowing access from one to the other. <br>The dwelling-house is the larger and best-preserved of the two buildings, with its entrance intact and its’ walls up to 1.6 m high. &nbsp;<br>The doorway at the inner end of a covered entrance-passage has features to frame a wooden doorway, and inside, the house is 10m long by 5m wide, divided into two rooms. <br>Excavation revealed traces of a central hearth, footings for wooden benches and post-holes for roof-supports. A stone quem remained in situ, where it may have been used. The adjoining structure is divided into three rooms, the innermost furnished with shelves and cupboards and the middle room acting as the main working area, round a central stone-built hearth.<br>Many domestic artefacts were recovered, including bone and stone tools, and sherds of round based carinated pottery. (Source RCAHMS) <br>The age of the settlement was established by radiocarbon dating of animal bones, the most numerous of which were 6 sheep or goat samples, (3520BC to 2900BC). <br>A single cattle bone was sampled, (3370BC–3030BC), and just one pig bone (3630BC–3360BC)<br><a href="https://c.im/tags/Neolithic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Neolithic</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Orkney" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Orkney</span></a></p>
Orkney Riddler<p>I have only visited Maeshowe once , 45 years ago. It's a bit awkward now, there is a visitor centre just down the way at Stenness village, and people are taken by minibus from there to control a hazardous crossing point near the monument .<br>The monuments greatest claim to fame seems to be the observation that the long entrance passage has been designed such that it is aligned with the setting sun on the day of the Winter Solstice. As the sun sets, its rays are said to radiate down the passage Illuminating the back wall of the great chamber. There remains great speculation regarding this belief, and much scholarly dispute is devoted to the discussion of sunsets and horizons here and elsewhere, on the Orkney landscape. Although it is true that the sun does light up the rear of the chamber at the solstice, some sources question whether this was purposeful or accidental. <br>The Royal Commission suggests that :“The great boulder in its triangular niche just inside the doorway on the left would have been drawn forwards with ropes to close the entrance.”, but as the butting face for the blocking stone is facing inwards, in my opinion it seems unlikely that an effective closure could be made from the outside. Strange though it may seem, it looks more likely that this closure would be better performed by people enclosed within the cairn. </p><p><a href="https://c.im/tags/maeshowe" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>maeshowe</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Neolithic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Neolithic</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/archaeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>archaeology</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/prehistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>prehistory</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Orkney" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Orkney</span></a></p>