Orkney dig reveals ruins of huge Neolithic tomb [View all]
A 5,000-year-old tomb was unearthed in Orkney, north-east Scotland. The discovery was announced by the Guardian, describing the tomb structure as the pinnacle of Neolithic engineering. The tomb dates from around 3000 BC.
The Orkney Islands lie 15km north of the coast of Scotland. The archipelago is home to Western Europes most important Neolithic monuments and ruins.
Dr Hugo Anderson-Whymark, senior curator of prehistory (neolithic) at the National Museums Scotland, and Vicki Cummings, professor of neolithic archaeology at Cardiff University, led the excavation.
The site had been overlooked until now because it was leveled for a nearby building that was demolished about 10 years ago.
In 1896, a farmers son dug deeper into the ruins and discovered traces of walling as well as a stone macehead and ball, as well as eight skeletons. These discoveries were reported in a local paper by an antiquary, James Walls Cursiter.
More:
https://arkeonews.net/orkney-dig-reveals-ruins-of-huge-neolithic-tomb/