Heart of Neolithic Orkney

• Official name: Heart of Neolithic Orkney
• Location: Orkney Islands, Scotland
• Type: Cultural
• Year of inscription: 1999

The Heart of Neolithic Orkney refers to a group of four ancient human monuments believed to date back more than five thousand years. The monuments are located on the largest of the Orkney Islands, a chain of islands off the northern coast of Scotland. The sites consist of two large stone circles (the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness), a chambered tomb (Maeshowe), and the remains of a Neolithic village (Skara Brae). Each site, particularly the village of Skara Brae, has allowed modern archaeologists a glimpse into the daily lives, spiritual beliefs, and social customs of the region’s ancient peoples.

History

Archaeologists typically divide ancient human history into periods roughly based on technological milestones, such as the use of tools and invention of agriculture. The longest period of prehistoric human development is commonly known as the Stone Age, so called because stone was the primary substance used for weapons and tools. The Paleolithic, or “Old Stone Age,” began with the first use of stone tools more than 2.6 million years ago. The Mesolithic, or “Middle Stone Age,” was a transitionary period as humans moved from a hunter-gatherer existence to more settled agricultural societies. This transition began about 10,000 BCE and occurred at various times, depending on the place.

The Neolithic, or “New Stone Age, marked the completion of this societal transition. During the Neolithic period, humans began relying on planting crops and raising animals for food. Like the Mesolithic, the Neolithic period did not occur at the same time in each region. It began in the Middle East about 10,000 BCE and spread into southeastern Europe about 7000 BCE, Central Europe about 5500 BCE, and northern Europe (including Britain) about 4000 BCE.

People had been living on the British mainland since about 10,000 BCE, but little evidence exists for human habitation of the Orkney Islands prior to 4000 BCE. The Orkneys are a chain of seventy islands about 9.3 miles (15 kilometers) off the northern coast of Scotland. Only sixteen of the islands are inhabited, the largest of which is named Mainland.

The four monuments that make up the Heart of Neolithic Orkney are all found within 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) of one another on Mainland. The best-known of the four sites is Skara Brae, a Neolithic village that was first inhabited about 3200 BCE. The name Skara Brae is a variation on Skerrabra, the name locals called the mound under which the site was buried.

The houses of Skara Brae were built from stones embedded into the surrounding turf for better support. At one time, the village had about ten structures and was home to between fifty and one hundred people. The houses were connected to one another by covered passages, meaning that inhabitants could walk from one house to another without going outside.

Each house consisted of a large, windowless room with a stone hearth as a centerpiece. The room was also equipped with stone furniture, such as dressers, chairs, and beds. Numerous stone tools have been found at the site, but no weapons have been discovered, suggesting that the people of Skara Brae lived in relative peace. In addition to stone tools, archeologists have also found pottery, jewelry, and even gaming dice.

Skara Brae was inhabited until about 2500 BCE when it was mysteriously abandoned. Archeologists speculate that a changing climate may have made conditions in the region too harsh for human habitation. Windblown sand eventually covered the site, keeping it remarkably preserved. The site was rediscovered in 1850 after a strong storm tore away some of the sand and soil covering the buried houses. Four houses were initially uncovered before excavations were abandoned for several decades. Another storm damaged Skara Brae in 1924, prompting British officials to build a protective sea wall around the unearthed stone houses. Within six years, Skara Brae was fully excavated.

Maeshowe is a raised stone mound, or cairn, located about 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) inland from Skara Brae. Maeshowe, which means “meadow mound” in Old Norse, was constructed about 2800 to 3000 BCE and had an original height of about 23 feet (7 meters) and was 115 feet (35 meters) in diameter. It has a 36-foot- (11-meter-) long passageway that leads to central chamber. Although few human remains have been found at the site, archaeologists believe that it was used as a burial chamber. The mound has been dug in such a way that the setting sun on the winter solsticeneo sends a shaft of light into the central chamber.

The Ring of Brodgar is a circle of large standing stones located on a thin strip of land between Loch Harray and Loch Stenness. Archeologists believe the stones—which originally numbered sixty—were built between 2000 and 2500 BCE and used for ceremonial purposes. Thirty-six of the stones have survived into modern times. The stone circle has a diameter of 340 feet (140 meters) and covers an area of 90,800 square feet (8,435 square meters). The stones vary in height from 7 feet (2.1 meters) to 15.4 feet (4.7 meters) tall. According to local legend, the stones were once a group of giants who wandered upon the field one night. As a fiddler played, the giants decided to dance. At sunrise, the dancing giants were turned to stone, as was the fiddler who is represented by the Comet Stone, a 6-foot (1.75-meter) stone standing about 460 feet (140 meters) from the main ring.

The Stones of Stenness are another group of standing stones located less than a mile southeast of the Ring of Brodgar. Archologists believe that construction on the Stones was underway by about 3100 BCE. Originally, the site consisted of twelve stones set in an oval shape about 98 feet (30 meters) in diameter. Over time, most of the stones toppled, and only four are left standing in modern times. The Stones of Stenness are larger than those in the Ring of Brodgar, with the tallest reaching 17 feet (5.1 meters). The purpose of the Stones is unknown, but theories range from astronomical to ceremonial uses.

Significance

Since 1978, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has been recognizing locations or landmarks with significant cultural, historical, or scientific importance as World Heritage Sites. Inclusion on the World Heritage List not only recognizes the site’s value to humanity, but also mandates that it receive the highest level of preservation. To be included on the World Heritage List, a site must meet one of ten criteria set forth by UNESCO.

The Heart of Neolithic Orkney was included on the World Heritage List in 1999. UNESCO noted that the four monuments, and some surrounding unexcavated burial and ceremonial sites, met four of the ten criteria.

The first criterion is that the monuments “represent a masterpiece of human creative genius.” UNESCO notes that monuments were highly sophisticated for their time and represented the height of Neolithic architecture. The workmanship of the island’s inhabitants is particularly noted in the stones of the Ring of Brodgar, which are set in a near-perfect circle.

The monuments also meet UNESCO’s second criterion, that a site represents an “interchange of human values” during a particular time or in a particular region. Living on a rocky island with little vegetation, the inhabitants of the Orkneys used the natural resources at their disposal to build their monuments. While similar monuments were created across the British Isles during the Neolithic period, the monuments of Orkney stand out as among the largest, oldest, and best-preserved. For example, the Ring of Brodgar is the third-largest stone circle in Great Britain, trailing only Stanton Drew and Avebury, both in southwest England. Avebury is the largest stone circle in both the United Kingdom and Europe. Archeologists believe the Stones of Stenness may be the oldest stone circle on the British Isles. Construction had begun by 3100 BCE and may have started as early as 3400 BCE. This means the Stones of Stenness predated the iconic stone monoliths of Stonehenge by more than six centuries. It also makes them older than the Great Pyramids of Egypt, which were built about 2550–2000 BCE.

The third criterion met by the Heart of Neolithic Orkney is that they “bear a unique testimony to a cultural tradition” that was established in the region from about 3000 to 2000 BCE. The Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness hint at the possible ceremonial and spiritual lives of Neolithic humans. Maeshowe is an example of ancient burial techniques. However, Skara Brae has proved most invaluable to studying the lives of the prehistoric inhabitants of the Orkneys. The village is the best-preserved Neolithic village in Europe, providing archeologists with a “snapshot” of life in the third millennium BCE.

The fourth and final criterion met by the site is that it represents a “significant stage of human history” when the first large-scale stone monuments were built. Chambered stone tombs, such as Maeshowe, were built throughout the British Isles during the Neolithic period, especially in the area that is now Scotland. Large stone circles were also common during the period, with most of them built in Britain, Ireland, and the French region of Brittany. Archeologists estimate that the British Isles contain more than 1,300 stone circles from the Neolithic and early Bronze Age, the period that followed the Neolithic.

Bibliography

Brend, Amanda, Nick Card, Jane Downes, Mark Edmonds, and James Moore. Landscapes Revealed: Geophysical Survey in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Area 2002–2011, Oxbow Books, 2020.

“Heart of Neolithic Orkney.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 2022, whc.unesco.org/en/list/514/. Accessed 11 July 2022.

“Neolithic Britain.” University of Warwick, 10 Aug. 2021, warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/classics/warwickclassicsnetwork/romancoventry/resources/prehistoricbritain/neolithic/. Accessed 11 July 2022.

“Neolithic Revolution.” History.com, 23 Aug. 2019, www.history.com/topics/pre-history/neolithic-revolution. Accessed 11 July 2022

Mark, Joshua J. “Maeshowe.” World History Encyclopedia, 24 Oct. 2012, www.worldhistory.org/Maeshowe/. Accessed 11 July 2022.

Mark, Joshua J. “Skara Brae.” World History Encyclopedia, 18 Oct. 2012, www.worldhistory.org/Skara‗Brae/ ml. Accessed 11 July 2022.

“Ring of Brodgar.” Orkney.com, 2022, www.orkney.com/listings/ring-of-brodgar. Accessed 11 July 2022.

“Standing Stones of Stenness.” Orkney.com, 2022, www.orkney.com/listings/standing-stones-of-stenness. Accessed 11 July 2022.