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Ness of Brodgar

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CianMcLiam C
CianMcLiam Jan 16, 2017 21:10:22
Replying to tiompan

tiompan wrote:
But Jericho was originally a settlement not a chambered cairn as it is expected at the Ness . The nearby contemporaneous settlements didn't have surrounding walls eg Barnhouse and Skara Brae .
The walls of structure 10 inside the complex are probably the biggest ,more a case of conspicuous construction .
We know from the evidence of chambered tombs that the inhabitants were not about peace love and cuddliness , probably far from it but the "other guy " was probably your neighbour , not from the mainland of Europe or Scotland . That evidence suggests interpersonal violence not warfare ,DNA/isotope analysis might clarify that .The island(s) had a really useful defence in the surrounding seas , anyone attempting to attack them would need a fair few boats to carry the warriors across the Pentland Firth etc before even starting any attack . If thre was to be an attack and you wanted to build defences would you choose a low lying situation as at the Ness ?
Yeah it will be interesting to see what kind of monument stood there originally, nevertheless a narrow strip of land with a natural moat on each side is a pretty good site to defend. I'd be inclined to think of raiding rather than all out war.

E Evergreen Dazed
Evergreen Dazed Jan 16, 2017 22:34:15
Replying to CianMcLiam

CianMcLiam wrote:
tiompan wrote:
But Jericho was originally a settlement not a chambered cairn as it is expected at the Ness . The nearby contemporaneous settlements didn't have surrounding walls eg Barnhouse and Skara Brae .
The walls of structure 10 inside the complex are probably the biggest ,more a case of conspicuous construction .
We know from the evidence of chambered tombs that the inhabitants were not about peace love and cuddliness , probably far from it but the "other guy " was probably your neighbour , not from the mainland of Europe or Scotland . That evidence suggests interpersonal violence not warfare ,DNA/isotope analysis might clarify that .The island(s) had a really useful defence in the surrounding seas , anyone attempting to attack them would need a fair few boats to carry the warriors across the Pentland Firth etc before even starting any attack . If thre was to be an attack and you wanted to build defences would you choose a low lying situation as at the Ness ?
Yeah it will be interesting to see what kind of monument stood there originally, nevertheless a narrow strip of land with a natural moat on each side is a pretty good site to defend. I'd be inclined to think of raiding rather than all out war.
For the thickness of the walls to be of some defensive significance you'd have to have a very high wall, castle like, a wall you couldn't climb. And for roofed structures, why build such thick walls when the roof would make the building vulnerable.
And, as George has mentioned, look at Barnhouse just across the way, and Skara Brae.
The fortress thing doesn't ring true at all. I'd imagine the strip of the ness would be a terrifying place to be if under attack.

T tiompan
tiompan Jan 16, 2017 23:01:39
Replying to CianMcLiam

CianMcLiam wrote:
tiompan wrote:
But Jericho was originally a settlement not a chambered cairn as it is expected at the Ness . The nearby contemporaneous settlements didn't have surrounding walls eg Barnhouse and Skara Brae .
The walls of structure 10 inside the complex are probably the biggest ,more a case of conspicuous construction .
We know from the evidence of chambered tombs that the inhabitants were not about peace love and cuddliness , probably far from it but the "other guy " was probably your neighbour , not from the mainland of Europe or Scotland . That evidence suggests interpersonal violence not warfare ,DNA/isotope analysis might clarify that .The island(s) had a really useful defence in the surrounding seas , anyone attempting to attack them would need a fair few boats to carry the warriors across the Pentland Firth etc before even starting any attack . If thre was to be an attack and you wanted to build defences would you choose a low lying situation as at the Ness ?
Yeah it will be interesting to see what kind of monument stood there originally, nevertheless a narrow strip of land with a natural moat on each side is a pretty good site to defend. I'd be inclined to think of raiding rather than all out war.
I find the historical aspect of monuments intriguing e.g. Stonehenge .

I think they are hopeful that the earliest monument was funereal , at the Ness.

War as was uncommon in the period and there is no evidence of it that I know of in Orkney . It appears that interpersonal violence was common for the period and here too , but you don't need big walls to put a stop to that or raiding which was more suited to mainland areas where you get in and out easily and quickly , not easily achieved on Orkney . The earliest defensive structures on Orkney look to be have been promontory forts and brochs ,both much later than the Ness .

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