Remains of Iron Age tower uncovered
Published Date:
19 July 2008
By DAVID HARTLEY
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered the remains of a massive stone tower which could have been the biggest Iron Age building on Orkney.
The structure, which has been uncovered at the Cairns, South Ronaldsay, was created around 2,500 years ago and would have been about 70ft wide.
Martin Carruthers, a lecturer at Orkney College who is leading the dig team, said: "Virtuoso builders were needed to create a monumental structure of this kind. Dry-stone building skills reached their zenith with a sophisticated building like this."
The three-week dig has revealed a complex of buildings, with the remains of the stone tower, or broch, at the centre.
On the outside, the tower would have been around 70ft wide – bigger than Orkney's best preserved brochs at Gurness in Evie and Midhowe in Rousay. Mr Carruthers estimated the walls could have been around 16ft tall, with a conical turf roof.
He said. "Around 2,500 years ago, if you'd sailed into the bay, you'd have seen this incredibly impressive building up on the hill … we are marvelling at the confidence of those who put together a building of this substance and bulk."
The buildings uncovered so far are thought to date from around 400BC to AD400.
The full article contains 210 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
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Last Updated:
18 July 2008 10:08 PM
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Source:
The Scotsman
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Location:
Edinburgh
