Rousay, the Egypt of the North: the story from the sea
Stephen Dockrill, Julie Bond
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF BRADFORD
Rousay is the sixth largest island in Orkney at 11,937 acres. The centre is formed by high moorland, surrounded by a coastal fringe with one of the richest concentrations of archaeological sites in Orkney. The archaeology is a magnet for visitors, who explore the many chambered cairns. Some visitors climb down to the Neolithic cairn and Iron Age broch at Midhowe and return along the coastline, passing a significant number of actively eroding sites. Excavation of the eroding archaeology at two multi-period settlement sites, South Howe and Swandro, indicate the magnitude of the potential loss. The topography, availability of agricultural land and access to the sea made this a favoured location. The loss along this coastal stretch will be irreplaceable, with no equivalent sites surviving inland. The Swandro sequence includes a Neolithic chambered cairn and an Early Iron Age to Norse period estate associated with the Westness Pictish and Viking burials. The surviving archaeology, although eroding, is providing valuable data both on the settlement itself and on the process of erosion on this active boulder beach. Excavation of the wave-cut terraces of thensettlement mound is challenging, the site being subject to both the water table and the regular incursions of high tides. Recording methods have been adapted and new technology such as laser scanning utilised. A central aspect of this long-termproject is to work with the island community to communicate the findings, to enhance visitor experience and to raisenawareness of the potential loss.
Compilation Feature: Oldest Structures in Europe
Structures included in the list has to be;
-Located in Europe
-Is a recognizable building
-Entrance can be seen
Dates are approximated as they are derived from radiocarbon dating
1 Barnenez France Finistère, Brittany Grave 4850BC
2 Tumulus of Bougon France La-Mothe-Saint-Héray, Bougon Tumulus/Barrow 4700BC
3 Saint-Michel Tumulus France Carnac, Brittany Tumulus/Burrow 4500BC
4 Monte d'Accoddi Italy Porto Torres, Sassari Temple 4000BC - 3650BC
5 Knap of Howar Scotland Papa Westray, Orkney island House 3700BC
6 Ggantija Malta Xaghra, Gozo Temple 3700BC
7 Dolmen of Menga Spain Antequera, Málaga Tomb 3700BC
8 West Kennet Long Burrow England Avebury, Wiltshire Tomb 3650BC
9 Listoghil Ireland County Sligo, Connacht Tomb 3550BC
10 Stoney Littleton Long Burrow England Wellow, Somerset Tomb 3550BC
11 La Hougue Bie Jersey La Route de la Hougue Bie, Grouville Grave 3500BC
12 Midhowe Chambered Cairn Scotland Rousay, Orkney Island Tomb 3500BC
13 Gavrinis France Gulf of Morbihan, Brittany Tomb 3500BC
14 Wayland's Smithy England Ashbury, Oxfordshire Tomb 3460BC
15 Unstan Chambered Cairn Scotland Mainland, Orkney Island Tomb 3450BC
16 Loughcrew Ireland Oldcastle, County Meath Tomb 3400BC
17 Knowe of Yarso Scotland Rousay, Orkney Island Tomb 3350BC
18 Quanterness Scotland Mainland, Orkney Island Tomb 3250BC
19 Tarxien Temples Malta Tarxien, South Eastern Region of Malta Temple 3250BC
20 Newgrange Ireland West of Drogheda, County Meath Burial 3200BC
21 Skara Brae Scotland Mainland, Orkney Island Tomb 3180BC
22 Tomb of the Eagles Scotland South Ronaldsay, Orkney Island Tomb 3150BC
23 Dolmen de Bagneux France Saumur, Maine et Loire Dolmen/Tomb 3000BC
24 Grey Cairns of Camster Scotland Caithness, Scottish Highlands Tomb 3000BC
25 Hulbjerg Jættestue Denmark Langeland, Bagenkop Grave 3000BC
26 Dolmens of North Caucasus Russia 12,000 square kilometres of Russia and Abkhazia Tomb 3000BC
27 Taversoe Tuick Scotland Rousay, Orkney Island Tomb 3000BC
28 Holm of Papa Scotland Mainland, Orkney islands Tomb 3000BC
29 Barpa Langass Scotland North Uist, Outer Hebrides Tomb 3000BC
30 Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn Scotland Kirkwall, Orkney Island Tomb 3000BC
31 Quoyness cairn Scotland Sanday, Orkney island Tomb 2900BC
32 Maeshowe Scotland Mainland, Orkney Island Tomb 2800BC
33 Knowth Ireland Boyne Valley, County Meath Grave 2500BC - 2000BC
34 Capel Garmon Wales Bro Garmon, Conwy valley Tomb 2500BC
35 Dowth Ireland Boyne Valley, County Meath Tomb 2500BC
36 Labbacallee Ireland Glanworth, County Cork, Tomb 2300BC
37 Dolmen de Viera Spain Antequera, Málaga Tomb 2000BC
38 Dolmen of Cava dei Servi Italy (Sicily) Modica, Ragusa Tomb 2000BC
39 Rubha an Dùnain Scotland Skye, Scottish Highlands Tomb 2000BC
40 Corrimony chambered cairn Scotland Drumnadrochit, Scottish Highlands Tomb 2000BC
41 Knossos Greece Heraklion, Crete Palace 2000BC - 1300BC
42 Bryn Celli Ddu Wales Llanddaniel Fab, Anglesey Island Tomb 2000BC
43 Balnuaran of Clava Scotland Nairn, Scottish Highlands Tomb 2000BC
44 Vinquoy cairn, Eday Scotland Eday, Orkney Island Tomb 2000BC
45 Nuraghe Santu Antine Italy (Sardinia) Torralba, Sassari Fort? 1600BC
46 Su Nuraxi di Barumini Italy (Sardinia) Barumini, South Sardinia Fort? 1500BC
47 Nuraghe La Prisciona Italy (Sardinia) Arzachena, Sassari Fort? 1400BC
48 The King's Grave Sweden Kivik, Skåne Tomb 1400BC
49 Treasury of Atreus Greece Argolis, Peloponnese Tomb 1250BC
50 Naveta d'Es Tudons Spain Balearic island, Menorca Ossuary 1200BC - 750BC
51 Dún Aonghasa Ireland Aran Islands, County Galway Fort 1100BC
52 Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia
Necropoli della Banditaccia Italy Cerveteri & Tarquinia, Lazio Tomb 700BC
53 Temple of Hera Italy Province of Salerno, Campania Temple 550BC
54 Tomb of Seuthes III Bulgaria Kazanlak, Stara Zagora Tomb 450BC - 400BC
55 Parthenon Greece Athens, Attica Temple 432BC - 447BC
56 Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak Bulgaria Kazanlak, Stara Zagora Tomb 300BC - 400BC
57 Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari Bulgaria Sveshtari, Razgrad Tomb 300BC - 200BC
58 Broch of Mousa Scotland Mousa, Shetland Broch/Home 100BC
59 Dun Carloway Scotland Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides Broch/Home 100BC
Sources:
Images retrieved from Wikimedia Commons, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Music Used:
Track: Marin Hoxha - Endless [NCS Release]
On fire - Robin Hustin [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds.
Watch: