The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Sumburgh Airport Cist

Cist

Miscellaneous

Not much to see here I'm afraid. In July 1977 contractors working at the airport uncovered the cist and there was an emergency excavation lasting one week. Here's some blurb from the Shetland Today web site:
A burial in a stone cist discovered at Sumburgh airport has been dated to 3,200BC. It contained the earliest human remains as yet found in Shetland - the bones of at least 18 individuals along with various grave goods. Some of these artefacts and bones can be seen in the Shetland Museum in Lerwick.

Although this stone cist is now below the airport's control tower, there is a wealth of nationally important archaeology to be seen in the vicinity.
...and here's what CANMORE says about the site:
The site was greatly disturbed but can be reconstructed with confidence as a boulder delimited cist containing a multiple burial which had been completely disarticulated and which was accompanied by several stone beads and broken pottery of possible Beaker or Early Bronze Age date.
Kammer x
Kammer Posted by Kammer
29th April 2003ce
Edited 29th April 2003ce

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