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Knowes of TrottyCairn(s)
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Uncovering the burial mounds of Bronze Age ScotsExtract taken from The Scotsman's Website Four thousand years ago work began to erect the great earthen burial mounds that comprise the Bronze Age barrow cemetery at the Knowes of Trotty, in Harray, Orkney... continues... |
Posted by Hob30th August 2006ce Edited 30th August 2006ce |
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3500BCE house/s preceded BA cemetery Sigurd's report on the latest doings (including a house contemporary with the Knap of Howar) with twa photos http://www.orkneyjar.com/archaeology/knowes2006.htm |
Posted by wideford3rd August 2006ce |
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Knowes of Trotty Open day (For those with transport) Sunday July 30th there are guided tours from one o'clock till five, including the ongoing excavation of an 'early' Neolithic structure with central hearth. |
Posted by wideford 28th July 2006ce Edited 28th July 2006ce |
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Latest Report http://www.orkneyjar.com/archaeology/trotty2005finds.htm has the newspaper report from last week after the re-discovery of the amber beads. The image of the cist area shows the pair of standing stones that hem the cist itself. |
Posted by wideford 22nd July 2005ce Edited 22nd July 2005ce |
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Future to the back On Radio Orkney this morning (first few minutes at http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/radioscotland/console/index.shtml?listen=/scotland/radioscotland/media/news/orkney ) a report on the re-discovery of the amber beads (not disintegrated as feared) dropped back into the famous cist at the time of the original dig, so they are finally back to start. |
Posted by wideford 11th July 2005ce Edited 11th July 2005ce |
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| In the height of summer you'll need waterproofs if it has been damp - before you reach the mounds the rutted farmtrack finally gives out and you have no choice but to wade through sodden knee-high grass (even went through waterproof shoes to leave squelchy feet). |
Posted by wideford 10th July 2005ce |
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Surprised these aren't already on. But it is a bit of a yomp. Went on a guided walk with the Orkney Archaeological Trust. Because the area covered by these 11 cairns is now under management (hence the falling through of funding for further excavations this year) you can no longer reach here through Netherhouse byre but have to go the long way around via the Howe Road. The way through the heath is a ways past the Howe Farm turnoff and on your right. The rough and intermittent path leading to the 'cemetery' isn't signposted so it is fortunate that they stand out. Owing to all the moss and heather it is a very bouncy walk -thankfully duckboards have been placed along the worst patches of the swampy bits now. They aren't much to look at - I would have been content to take a group picture at the first suitable place and gone back, myself. The cairns were constructed using natural drumlins as platforms. Though many were excavated by 'barrow-diggers' only the one with the golden discs was in any sense recorded. The 2002 excavation by Jane Downes, our guide, besides numerous cists in one of the cairns revealed in a flat area between two of the cairns some kind of building - perhaps a mortuary structure. In the Bronze Age the settlements were tiny and usually within a kilometre or two (so look about you if you visit). I think that from here you can make out the Knowes of Trinnawin tumuli on the west side of Hindera Fiold. From the cairn nearest Netherhouse at one spot two of the hills almost form a continuous flat skyline. |
Posted by wideford 10th July 2004ce |
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Orkneyjar: Knowes of TrottySigurd's take on them with photos. |
Posted by wideford 10th July 2004ce Edited 11th July 2004ce |
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