But they still haven't addressed much less answered my question; how big was the population at this time? To have built that huge complex at The Ness, even allowing for it to have taken many years, must have required a significant number of people drawn from all over the islands where the nearest discovered settlements (Barnhouse and Skara Brae) would have only housed a relatively small number of people. I'm just wondering if the population then was notably greater than now (approx 20,000, I think). The point may be a fairly arcane one but I'm surprised it hasn't been raised (yet......)