Islesburgh Cairn
Islesburgh Cairn is a Neolithic megalithic complex west of Brae on Mavis Grind, a 33 m wide land bridge between the Northmavine Peninsula in the northwest and the rest of the mainland of the Shetlands .
The cairn
The megalithic complex was excavated in the 1950s without any findings. She is a good example of a heel-shaped cairn . The concave facade is interrupted in the middle by the entrance . The facility is unusually small. It is only about 4.6 m from the front to the poorly preserved back. Its facade, which is now incomplete, was originally eight meters wide. The 0.4 m wide and 1.5 m long entrance leads into a rectangular 1.4 m wide and 1.1 m deep chamber. The room was originally covered with panels.
Mavis Grind (grind nord. For isthmus) is narrow and low enough to move smaller boats between the Atlantic and the North Sea.
The enclosure
About 50 m away, bounded on its straight side by the steep coast, is a D-shaped Neolithic enclosure with a stone building in the center. The house, which has recently been transformed into a plant trough, was probably originally oval and around 20 m long. The southern part of the house is not original, the northern part shows traces of three pillars and at least two side niches. Excavation in the 1950s within the modern half revealed a drain facing south to the assumed position of the entrance.
The D-shaped enclosure is unusually massive, almost megalithic. The entire shape of the enclosure, including the concave shoreline, is reminiscent of the shape of the neighboring cairn.
literature
- Shore Audrey Henshall: The chambered tombs of Scotland. Volume 1. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 1963.
- Anna Ritchie: Shetland (= Exploring Scotland's Heritage. ). 2nd edition. HMSO, Edinburgh 1997, ISBN 0-11-495289-2 .
Web links
- Entry on Islesburgh Cairn in Canmore, Historic Environment Scotland database
- Description Engl. + Pictures
- Description Engl. + Pictures
Coordinates: 60 ° 23 '55 " N , 1 ° 23' 40.4" W.