Stone box on sandfiold

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The large stone box on Sandfiold (also Sand Fiold) is located on the Scottish Orkney island of Mainland .

The dune area southeast of Netherstone, near Skaill not far from Skara Brae , is a region in which several stone boxes have already been found. The largest excavation took place in 1989. A 2.0 m deep rock chamber grave of a little more than 3.0 m 2 was found in the rock and contained a stone box made of large thin plates. Inside were the remains of three burials.

In one corner was a large urn with cremated remains , while a unburnt woman and a fetus were deposited in the other corner. In the center, under a kind of mat, lay burnt remains. The burials took place around 2000 BC. So far this stone box is unique, because the others in the region are much smaller and were not used for multiple burials.

Not much evidence of the Orkney has come to light from the Bronze Age (around 1800–800 BC). The islands may have been affected by a deterioration in climate that led to an exodus. This could explain the lack of Bronze Age finds. No monumental buildings were erected during this time. Since there are hardly any signs of settlement, these seem to have been abandoned in favor of scattered houses. Cremation sat down gradually by and for burials in stone boxes under Cairns real were cemeteries ( Knowes o 'Trotty ) is applied.

Until 1989 the Dwarfie Stane was the only rock tomb in Great Britain and at the same time the northernmost in Europe.

See also

literature

  • M. Dalland: A rock-cut tomb at Sand Fiold, Orkney ', Historic Scotland, Archaeological Operations and Conservation Annual Report 1989. Edinburgh 1990. pp. 4-6
  • M. Dalland: Sand Fiold: the excavation of an exceptional cist in Orkney, In: Proc Prehist Soc, Vol. 65, 1999.
  • Charles Tait: The Orkney Guide Book. Edition 2.1. C. Tait, Kelton - St. Ola - Orkney 1999, ISBN 0-9517859-0-7 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Entry on Steinkiste on Sandfiold  in Canmore, the database of Historic Environment Scotland (English)

Web links

Coordinates: 59 ° 3 '22.4 "  N , 3 ° 19' 22.2"  W.