Broch of Burroughston
The Burroughston Broch (also called Hillock of Burroughston) is located about 1.5 km south of the Ness of Ork, in Quholm, on the northern tip of Shapinsay , an island in the Orkney in Scotland . From Hillock Road, a narrow back road, north of Edmonstone, a path leads east towards the grassy hills that surround the Broch .
The Burroughston Broch is an extraordinary construction. It was excavated in 1861 by George Petrie (1790–1866) and William Sinclair of Dryden, two actors who have appeared repeatedly in the history of Orkney archeology . Promoted by the sensational discoveries in the megalithic complex of Maes Howe , David Balfour, 4th Laird of Balfour at Balfour Castle in 1862 provided some workers to open the mound. The result was the discovery of a well-preserved brochure with strong outer walls. The access of the broch is directed towards the sea and a deep ditch between two walls probably completely surrounded it. Traces of building have been discovered between the broch and the ramparts.
In the passage of the outer wall, a low corridor leads to a guard cell within the wall, which is roofed by a cantilever vault , reminiscent of the skilled work in Howe Mine on Mainland .
Unlike the Broch by Gurness or Midhowe , only the interior of the Broch has been excavated. This allows today to look down from the outer wall onto the inner structures. The outer wall partly rises up to three meters. As usual in such structures, there is a staircase that is inserted into the wall. Several small niches and large chambers are built into the wall.
Remnants of devices and equipment similar to those of Bu or Gurness have been preserved within the brochure . In the center of the brochure, a modern metal grill covers a hole in the floor where a spring could have been. There is also some resemblance to the stairway that leads underground at Howe Mine.
Over the next 130 years, the Burroughston Broch fell into disrepair and the walls were in danger of collapsing. In 1994 the walls were consolidated and damage was removed. Seals can be seen at the Broch
literature
- Ian Armit: Towers in the North. The Brochs of Scotland. Tempus, Stroud 2003, ISBN 0-7524-1932-3 .
- Ian Armit: Broch Building in Northern Scotland: The Context of Innovation. In: World Archeology. Vol. 21, No. 3 = Architectural Innovation , 1990, ISSN 0043-8243 , pp. 435-445, JSTOR 124840 .
- John W. Hedges: Bu Gurness and the brochs of Orkney (= British Archaeological Reports. British series. 163-165). 3 volumes. Oxford, BAR 1987.
- C. Michael Hogan: Burroughston Broch . On: The Megalithic Portal. 2007.
- James NG Ritchie: Brochs of Scotland (= Shire Archeology. 53). Shire Publishing, Aylesbury 1988, ISBN 0-85263-928-7 (2nd edition. Shire Publishing, Princes Risborough 1998, ISBN 0-7478-0389-7 ) p. 49
Web links
- Description Engl. + Pictures
- Entry on Burroughston Broch in Canmore, Historic Environment Scotland database
Coordinates: 59 ° 4 ′ 24.5 " N , 2 ° 48 ′ 11" W.