Orkney Explorations Day 1

August 4:  Wow, we thought the weather yesterday was normal for the Orkneys, at least for summer - a little cool, partly cloudy and a slight breeze.  We were so wrong.

Today we studied stones - stone ruins, to be specific - from the Neolithic to the Iron Age to the Viking era.  Our first stop was at the Ring of Brodgar, a Neolithic circle of stone shards ranging from 1 meter to 3 meters high, surrounded by 20-foot deep moat.  The moat qualifies the site as a 'henge,' like Stonehenge.  This site is smaller than Stonehenge but older, and they don't know what it was used for either.  It is set on a narrow strip of land between two loch with views of hillsides in all directions.  We didn't linger to appreciate the grandeur or mystery of the Ring, because it was raining sidewise - chilly rain driven by a strong gale.

Ring of Brodgar, in horizontal rain

We did linger at the next site, the Ness of Brodgar, primarily because of the fascinating presentation by Roy Towers, a Glasgow archeologist and excavation expert.  The site was only discovered in 2003 when the property owners undertook a test dig before replanting a field with wildflowers.  The dig uncovered a stone first taken to be part of a Neolithic burial tomb and later concluded to be a wall segment that would have supported a roof.  As the archeologists worked, they discovered the site was far bigger and far older than they expected, and it has yielded artifacts that challenge previous theories about neolithic communities.  Mr. Towers told us this with enthusiasm - he was also impressed that 20-some tourists would stand around in the nasty weather while he talked.  Tidbits:

• The site is at least 6 acres, running across at least two fields and under several modern structures.  It will take years for the entire site to be excavated, if ever, since funding has always been scarce.  A team of young archeologists was working steadily and patiently in the rain while a camera man from BBC filmed them.
• It was in use from roughly 3,200 BC to 2,300 BC - older than the Pyramids.
• There is no sign of residential structures but there are at least 2 large ceremonial or community structures, one referred to as the 'Neolithic cathedral.'
• All the structures were built of sturdy stone walls with wide, shallow slate blocks and sophisticated roof structures, possibly of large, thinner slate tiles.
• They have found samples of pottery called "grooved pottery," reddish pots with decorative incisions of straight or curved lines.  This kind of pottery has been found at other early sites in England, but this site is much older, suggesting that the pottery style started here and then migrated south.  Prevailing theories said that culture moved northwards.
• They have also found tools and other artifacts of considerable sophistication, given that this culture had to create everything using stone or bone tools.

Ness of Brodgar, an active archeological dig

From the Ness, we drove west to Skara Brae on the coast, which was truly magical.  This site, found in the 1850s, when a storm blew away sea grass and sand, is the housing estate for the Ness, if you like.  Next to the museum is a replica constructed to show a typical layout and to give a sense of what it would have been like to live in one of these homes.  The buildings, which were generally oval or round, were constructed of thick flagstone walls, with roofs of wood beams covered with hides or the like.  At the center was a stone hearth or fire pit, and at the far end a stone cabinet with storage shelves.  Around the sides were several bedsteads outlined in slate slabs and probably lined with lambskins or deer hides for warmth.  There were also several small in-ground tanks, again outlined with slate slabs and possibly used as fish tanks or cold storage.  The dwellings were connected by stone tunnels and covered over with turf and moss, so they would have been cozy and comfortable even in foul weather.  (The weather had improved somewhat by now, so we could enjoy the scenery more.)

A reconstructed dwelling - interior showing the central hearth and "dresser"

The outside of the reconstructed dwelling

The actual dwelling at the historic site

The historic site, closer to the shore, looks like a green hobbit village, with partial stonewalls outlining each unit and its hearth.  One structure was probably a communal workshop since it contained stone chippings but no bedsteads.  The grass growing over the walls softens the outlines and adds to the magic.  The inhabitants probably raised sheep or cattle, fished, and grew basic crops.  They had the resources and the technology to build sophisticated sites such as the Ness and the stone circles.

A typical view of the ruins 

Our tickets to Skara Brae also gave us access to Skaill House, owned by the family that discovered the prehistoric site.  The house and its surrounding gardens is a good example of how a wealthy family lived on the islands between the 18th and 20th centuries.

Skaill House

Our last sightseeing stop of the day was Brough Head on the northwest end of Mainland.  This site is essentially an island, but for several hours before and after low tide,  a causeway provides foot access.  It is a humpy, grassy island with a lighthouse on the highest point (toward the center), steep cliffs on the seaside,  and, on the causeway side, the Brough of Birsay, a Norse-era ruin.  The construction technique was basically the same as the Neolithic sites - rings of stone walls creating snug houses but included a church and iron-age relics.  As we walked across the causeway, we investigated the tide pools and looked for shells.  We spotted seabirds and rabbits on the island.

We drove south to the port of Stromness for supper, finding relatively few choices.  We settled on the Stromness Hotel, which was OK.

Brough Head Causeway

A few of the sea shells we found

The Brough of Birsay

A view of the Brough of Birsay

Brough Head cliff side

Cormorant