DOCSLIB.ORG

Climate Risk Assessment for Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Climate Risk Assessment for Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site UHI Research Database pdf download summary Climate Risk Assessment for Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage property Jon Day; Scott Heron; Ewan Hyslop; Rebecca Jones; Adam Markham; Alice Lyall; Downes, Jane; Gibson, Julie Publication date: 2019 Publisher rights: ©2019 The Authors The re-use license for this item is: CC BY-NC The Document Version you have downloaded here is: Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to author version on UHI Research Database Citation for published version (APA): Jon Day, Scott Heron, Ewan Hyslop, Rebecca Jones, Adam Markham, Alice Lyall, Downes, J., & Gibson, J. (2019). Climate Risk Assessment for Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage property: An application of the Climate Vulnerability Index. Historic Environment Scotland. https://www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-and- research/publications/publication/?publicationId=c6f3e971-bd95-457c-a91d-aa77009aec69 General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the UHI Research Database are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights: 1) Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the UHI Research Database for the purpose of private study or research. 2) You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain 3) You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the UHI Research Database Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us at [email protected] providing details; we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 30. Sep. 2021 CLIMATE RISK ASSESSMENT FOR HEART OF NEOLITHIC ORKNEY WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTY An application of the Climate Vulnerability Index Authors Jon C. Day1, Scott F. Heron2, Adam Markham3,4, Jane Downes4,5, Julie Gibson5,6, Ewan Hyslop7, Rebecca Jones7, Alice Lyall7 Afliations 1 ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville Q4811, Australia 2 Physics, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville Q4811, Australia 3 Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA 4 ICOMOS Climate Change and Heritage Working Group 5 University of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom 6 Orkney Islands Council, Scotland, United Kingdom 7 Historic Environment Scotland, Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH, United Kingdom Published June 2019 Citation Day JC, Heron SF, Markham A, Downes J, Gibson J, Hyslop E, Jones RH, Lyall A (2019) Climate Risk Assessment for Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage property: An application of the Climate Vulnerability Index. Historic Environment Scotland, Edinburgh. Contact Enquiries regarding this report should be addressed to: Historic Environment Scotland, Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH, United Kingdom Cover Skara Brae. All images © 2019 HES, except where stated. Climate Risk Assessment for Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage property 1 An application of the Climate Vulnerability Index CONTENTS Executive Summary 2 6 Next steps 46 6.1 Findings from the CVI process 47 1 Introduction 4 i) Sea Level Change 1.1 Background to this report 5 ii) Precipitation Change 1.2 Overview of the Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) 5 iii) Storm Intensity and Frequency 1.3 Why was Orkney chosen to trial the CVI? 6 iv) Economic, social and cultural issues 6.2 Gaps identifed 48 2 The Heart of Neolithic Orkney (HONO) i) Research gaps World Heritage property 8 ii) Policy and guidance gaps 2.1 Location 9 6.3 Lessons for other properties 48 2.2 The World Heritage property 12 i) Lessons for Scottish WH properties i) Skara Brae ii) Lessons for non-WH sites across Orkney ii) Ring of Brodgar and associated monuments iii) Lessons for other sites across Scotland iii) Stones of Stenness and the Watch Stone 6.4 Recommendations for Scottish World 50 iv) Maeshowe and the Barnhouse Stone Heritage properties 2.3 Implications of World Heritage status 16 6.5 Revisiting the CVI process 50 2.4 Identifying the values of the World Heritage 17 6.6 Wider applications 50 property 2.5 Managing the World Heritage property 19 Acknowledgements 52 2.6 Evaluation of current condition and trend 23 of the key World Heritage values Appendices 54 A1 Statement of Outstanding Universal 55 3 The context for HONO 24 Value for the World Heritage-listed 3.1 Physical geography and landscape 25 ‘Heart of Neolithic Orkney’ 3.2 Ecology and agriculture 25 A2 Overview of the methodology for the 58 3.3 Economic context 27 Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) 3.4 Social and cultural context 28 A3 Overview of the CVI workshop in Orkney 68 A4 Outline of CVI workshop: 23rd- 25th April, 72 4 Climate and its infuence on HONO 30 Stromness, Orkney 4.1 Current climate 31 A5 List of participants in the CVI workshop, Orkney 74 4.2 Observed climate trends 31 A6 List of signifcant local values that 76 4.3 Anticipated climate change 32 are locally, regionally or nationally signifcant i) Global climate change and the Paris Agreement for Heart of Neolithic Orkney ii) Climate projections for Orkney A7 The management planning process 84 for the Heart of Neolithic Orkney 5 Applying the Climate Vulnerability 38 A8 Acronyms and glossary 88 Index (CVI) to HONO 5.1 Preparatory steps 40 5.2 OUV Vulnerability 42 5.3 Community Vulnerability 43 5.4 Summary 45 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Maeshowe Chambered Cairn Climate Risk Assessment for Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage property 3 An application of the Climate Vulnerability Index Climate change is the fastest growing global threat to + determined that the OUV Vulnerability was in the World Heritage (WH). Many WH properties around the highest category (High), indicating the potential for world are already experiencing signifcant negative major loss or substantial alteration of the majority impacts, damage and degradation. These and many of the values that comprise the OUV others are vulnerable to climate impacts, including + assessed Community Vulnerability to be in the from rising temperatures, sea level rise, extreme middle category (Moderate), acknowledging precipitation, fooding, coastal erosion, drought, the high level of adaptive capacity within the worsening wildfres, and human displacement, and will community be at risk in the future. Recently observed trends are + concluded that climate impacts are increasingly expected to continue and accelerate as climate change likely to add to a wide range of compounding intensifes. pressures including growing tourism numbers, infrastructure development and changing This report describes outcomes from a workshop in agricultural practices, which collectively are Orkney, Scotland (April 2019) to apply the Climate impacting the islands, Orkney’s heritage and its Vulnerability Index (CVI). The CVI is a new methodology cultural resources. developed to rapidly assess climate impacts – both to Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and the associated While the CVI methodology is currently in a pilot ‘community’ (local, domestic and international) – for phase, the Orkney workshop highlighted the value all types of WH properties (natural, cultural or mixed). of a transparent and repeatable framework for In its frst application to a cultural WH property, the rapid assessment of climate impacts on heritage CVI process was undertaken for the ‘Heart of Neolithic properties. Historic Environment Scotland will integrate Orkney’ (HONO). the fndings from the CVI workshop into the 2019 Management Plan revision and has recommended that HONO is comprised of four sites, among the most the CVI process be repeated for HONO on a fve-yearly important Neolithic monuments in northern Europe, and cycle as part of the management review cycle. was inscribed on the UNESCO WH List in 1999. Today these monuments remain dominant in a rural landscape, There are currently six WH properties in Scotland and providing a unique testimony to ceremonial, funerary climate change has been identifed as a current or and domestic components of cultural traditions which potential risk to all; a full CVI assessment would be a fourished between 3000 BC and 2000 BC. valuable contribution to understanding climate impacts on these properties. There is also scope to employ the The CVI workshop for HONO: CVI methodology to inform the development of future + involved site managers, academics, responsible WH nominations in Scotland and beyond. management agencies, businesses, the local community and other stakeholders Additional pilot CVI workshops involving diferent types + identifed the three key climate drivers that present of heritage at other WH properties around the world the greatest threat – Precipitation Change, Sea are planned to help further test, improve and refne the Level Change, and Storm Intensity and Frequency – CVI methodology. considered over a time scale to c. 2050 1 4 INTRODUCTION Skara Brae Climate Risk Assessment for Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage property 5 An application of the Climate Vulnerability Index 1.1 Background to this report The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Climate change is the fastest growing global threat (IPCC) has predicted with ‘high confdence’ that to World Heritage (WH) properties1,2, many of which “Global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C between 2030 – natural, cultural and mixed – are already being and 2052 if it continues to increase
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Pottery Technology As a Revealer of Cultural And
    Pottery technology as a revealer of cultural and symbolic shifts: Funerary and ritual practices in the Sion ‘Petit-Chasseur’ megalithic necropolis (3100–1600 BC, Western Switzerland) Eve Derenne, Vincent Ard, Marie Besse To cite this version: Eve Derenne, Vincent Ard, Marie Besse. Pottery technology as a revealer of cultural and symbolic shifts: Funerary and ritual practices in the Sion ‘Petit-Chasseur’ megalithic necropolis (3100–1600 BC, Western Switzerland). Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, Elsevier, 2020, 58, pp.101170. 10.1016/j.jaa.2020.101170. hal-03051558 HAL Id: hal-03051558 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03051558 Submitted on 10 Dec 2020 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 58 (2020) 101170 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Anthropological Archaeology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jaa Pottery technology as a revealer of cultural and symbolic shifts: Funerary and ritual practices in the Sion ‘Petit-Chasseur’ megalithic necropolis T (3100–1600 BC,
    [Show full text]
  • The Orkney Islands the Orkney Islands
    The by Carolyn Emerick Orkney Islands Let me take you down, cause we’re goin’ to... Skara Brae! The Islands of Orkney are a mystical place decline prior to the Viking invasion. Why it steeped in history and legend. Like the rest was declining is yet another mystery. It would of the British Isles, Orkney is an amalgam of appear that either the Picts required the aid of influences. The ancients left their mark from pre- Vikings, or that their situation left them wide history with their standing stones and neolithic open for a foreign invador to move in. settlements. Then came the Picts, however they What is known, is that the Viking settlement remain even more of a mystery as the Picts left of Orkney was so complete that virtually no very little evidence of their existence in Orkney place names of Pictish origin survive. In the behind. So scarce is the evidence, in fact, that rest of Britain, place names can be used to show until recently scholars questioned whether they the mixed heritage and influence of the various were there at all. It was the Vikings that left their settlers, from Celt to Roman, and especially the stamp on Orkney so strongly that their influence Germanic settlers such as the Angles, Saxons, can be found in the culture to this day. Danes, and so forth. The Vikings first began settling Orkney in the The Orkney Islands are late eighth century. From the records available, shown in Red with the we can only speculate what happened to the Shetland Islands off to Picts who had been living on the Islands prior the upper right in this to Viking settlement.
    [Show full text]
  • A Pilgrimage to Avebury Stone Circles in Wiltshire
    BEST OF BRITAIN A pilgrimage to Avebury stone circles in Wiltshire ere are famous religious pilgrimages, there are also the pilgrimages that one does for oneself. It doesn't have to be on foot or by any particular mode of transport. It is nothing more than the journey of getting to the desired destination, in any way or form. For me, that desired destination was the stone circles of Avebury in Wiltshire, for years I’ve been yearning to sit in stone circles and visit the sacred sites of Europe. So, why visit Avebury, a place that is often sold to us as the poor cousin of the ever-famous Stonehenge? In real - ity, it is not less but much more. Why Avebury? is sacred Neolithic site is the largest set of stone circles out of the thousands in the United Kingdom and in the world. It is older than other sites, although the dating is sketchy. I've heard everything from 2600BC to 4500BC and it’s still up for discussion. Despite being a World Heritage site, Avebury is fully open to the public. Unlike Stonehenge, you can walk in and around the stones. It is accessible by public transport, buses stop in the middle of the village, and the entrance is free. As well as the stone cir - cles, there is also an avenue of stones that take you down to the West Kennet Long Barrow and Silbury Hill. Onsite for a small fee you can visit the museum and manor that are run by the National Trust.
    [Show full text]
  • Concrete Prehistories: the Making of Megalithic Modernism 1901-1939
    Concrete Prehistories: The Making of Megalithic Modernism Abstract After water, concrete is the most consumed substance on earth. Every year enough cement is produced to manufacture around six billion cubic metres of concrete1. This paper investigates how concrete has been built into the construction of modern prehistories. We present an archaeology of concrete in the prehistoric landscapes of Stonehenge and Avebury, where concrete is a major component of megalithic sites restored between 1901 and 1964. We explore how concreting changed between 1901 and the Second World War, and the implications of this for constructions of prehistory. We discuss the role of concrete in debates surrounding restoration, analyze the semiotics of concrete equivalents for the megaliths, and investigate the significance of concreting to interpretations of prehistoric building. A technology that mixes ancient and modern, concrete helped build the modern archaeological imagination. Concrete is the substance of the modern –”Talking about concrete means talking about modernity” (Forty 2012:14). It is the material most closely associated with the origins and development of modern architecture, but in the modern era, concrete has also been widely deployed in the preservation and display of heritage. In fact its ubiquity means that concrete can justifiably claim to be the single most dominant substance of heritage conservation practice between 1900 and 1945. This paper investigates how concrete has been built into the construction of modern pasts, and in particular, modern prehistories. As the pre-eminent marker of modernity, concrete was used to separate ancient from modern, but efforts to preserve and display prehistoric megaliths saw concrete and megaliths become entangled.
    [Show full text]
  • Program of the 76Th Annual Meeting
    PROGRAM OF THE 76 TH ANNUAL MEETING March 30−April 3, 2011 Sacramento, California THE ANNUAL MEETING of the Society for American Archaeology provides a forum for the dissemination of knowledge and discussion. The views expressed at the sessions are solely those of the speakers and the Society does not endorse, approve, or censor them. Descriptions of events and titles are those of the organizers, not the Society. Program of the 76th Annual Meeting Published by the Society for American Archaeology 900 Second Street NE, Suite 12 Washington DC 20002-3560 USA Tel: +1 202/789-8200 Fax: +1 202/789-0284 Email: [email protected] WWW: http://www.saa.org Copyright © 2011 Society for American Archaeology. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted in any form or by any means without prior permission from the publisher. Program of the 76th Annual Meeting 3 Contents 4................ Awards Presentation & Annual Business Meeting Agenda 5………..….2011 Award Recipients 11.................Maps of the Hyatt Regency Sacramento, Sheraton Grand Sacramento, and the Sacramento Convention Center 17 ................Meeting Organizers, SAA Board of Directors, & SAA Staff 18 ............... General Information . 20. .............. Featured Sessions 22 ............... Summary Schedule 26 ............... A Word about the Sessions 28…………. Student Events 29………..…Sessions At A Glance (NEW!) 37................ Program 169................SAA Awards, Scholarships, & Fellowships 176................ Presidents of SAA . 176................ Annual Meeting Sites 178................ Exhibit Map 179................Exhibitor Directory 190................SAA Committees and Task Forces 194…….…….Index of Participants 4 Program of the 76th Annual Meeting Awards Presentation & Annual Business Meeting APRIL 1, 2011 5 PM Call to Order Call for Approval of Minutes of the 2010 Annual Business Meeting Remarks President Margaret W.
    [Show full text]
  • Stonehenge and Avebury WHS Management Plan 2015 Summary
    Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site Management Plan Summary 2015 Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site Management Plan Summary 2015 1 Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site Vision The Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site is universally important for its unique and dense concentration of outstanding prehistoric monuments and sites which together form a landscape without parallel. We will work together to care for and safeguard this special area and provide a tranquil, rural and ecologically diverse setting for it and its archaeology. This will allow present and future generations to explore and enjoy the monuments and their landscape setting more fully. We will also ensure that the special qualities of the World Heritage Site are presented, interpreted and enhanced where appropriate, so that visitors, the local community and the whole world can better understand and value the extraordinary achievements © K020791 Historic England © K020791 Historic of the prehistoric people who left us this rich legacy. Avebury Stone Circle We will realise the cultural, scientific and educational potential of the World Heritage Site as well as its social and economic benefits for the community. © N060499 Historic England © N060499 Historic Stonehenge in summer 2 Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site Management Plan Summary 2015 Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site Management Plan Summary 2015 1 World Heritage Sites © K930754 Historic England © K930754 Historic Arable farming in the WHS below the Ridgeway, Avebury The Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site is internationally important for its complexes of outstanding prehistoric monuments. Stonehenge is the most architecturally sophisticated prehistoric stone circle in the world, while Avebury is Stonehenge and Avebury were inscribed as a single World Heritage Site in 1986 for their outstanding prehistoric monuments the largest.
    [Show full text]
  • Stonehenge OCR Spec B: History Around Us
    OCR HISTORY AROUND US Site Proposal Form Example from English Heritage The Criteria The study of the selected site must focus on the relationship between the site, other historical sources and the aspects listed in a) to n) below. It is therefore essential that centres choose a site that allows learners to use its physical features, together with other historical sources as appropriate, to understand all of the following: a) The reasons for the location of the site within its surroundings b) When and why people first created the site c) The ways in which the site has changed over time d) How the site has been used throughout its history e) The diversity of activities and people associated with the site f) The reasons for changes to the site and to the way it was used g) Significant times in the site’s past: peak activity, major developments, turning points h) The significance of specific features in the physical remains at the site i) The importance of the whole site either locally or nationally, as appropriate j) The typicality of the site based on a comparison with other similar sites k) What the site reveals about everyday life, attitudes and values in particular periods of history l) How the physical remains may prompt questions about the past and how historians frame these as valid historical enquiries m) How the physical remains can inform artistic reconstructions and other interpretations of the site n) The challenges and benefits of studying the historic environment 1 Copyright © OCR 2018 Site name: STONEHENGE Created by: ENGLISH HERITAGE LEARNING TEAM Please provide an explanation of how your site meets each of the following points and include the most appropriate visual images of your site.
    [Show full text]
  • Heart of Neolithic Orkney Map and Guide
    World heritage The remarkable monuments that make up the Heart of Neolithic Orkney were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1999. These sites give visitors Heart of a vivid glimpse into the creative genius, lost beliefs and everyday lives of a once flourishing culture. Neolithic World Heritage status places them alongside such globally © Raymond Besant World heritage iconic sites as the Pyramids of Egypt and the Taj Mahal. Sites Orkney site r anger service are listed because they are of importance to all of humanity. The monuments World Heritage Site Orkney’s rich cultural and natural heritage is brought to life R anger Service Ring of Brodgar by the WHS Rangers and team of The evocative Ring of Brodgar is one of the largest and volunteers who support them. best-preserved stone circles in Great Britain. It hints at Throughout the year they run a busy programme of forgotten ritual and belief. public walks, talks and family events for all ages and Skara Brae levels of interest. The village of Skara Brae with its houses and stone Every day at 1pm in June, July and August the Rangers furniture presents an insight into the daily lives of lead walks around the Ring of Brodgar to explore the Neolithic people that is unmatched in northern Europe. iconic monument and its surrounding landscape. There Stones of Stenness are also activities designed specifically for schools and education groups. The Stones of Stenness are the remains of one of the oldest stone circles in the country, raised about 5,000 years ago. The Rangers work closely with the local community to care for the historical landscape and the wildlife that Maeshowe lives in and around its monuments.
    [Show full text]
  • Lochs of Harray and Stenness Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) Are the Two Largest Inland Lochs in Orkney and Are Located in the West Mainland
    LOCHS OF HARRAY AND STENNESS 54-56 Junction Road Site of Special Scientific Interest Kirkwall Orkney SITE MANAGEMENT STATEMENT KW15 1AW Tel: 01856 875 302 Site code: 1083 E: [email protected] Purpose This is a public statement prepared by SNH for owners and occupiers of the SSSI. It outlines the reasons it is designated as an SSSI and provides guidance on how its special natural features should be conserved or enhanced. This Statement does not affect or form part of the statutory notification and does not remove the need to apply for consent for operations requiring consent. We welcome your views on this statement. Natural features of Lochs of Condition of feature Other relevant Harray and Stenness SSSI (date monitored) designations Saline lagoon Favourable, maintained Special Area of (September 1999) Conservation (SAC) Eutrophic loch Unfavourable, no change (August 2004) Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), Favourable, maintained non-breeding (March 2000) Pochard (Aythya ferina), non- Favourable, maintained breeding (March 2000) Scaup (Aythya marila), non- Favourable, maintained breeding (March 2000) Tufted duck (Aythya fuligula), non- Unfavourable, declining breeding (December 2007) Caddis fly (Ylodes reuteri) Favourable, maintained (August 2003) Freshwater nerite snail (Theodoxus Favourable, maintained fluviatilis) (August 2003) Description of the site Lochs of Harray and Stenness Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) are the two largest inland lochs in Orkney and are located in the west Mainland. Loch of Stenness is a salt water (saline) lagoon linked at Brig o’ Brodgar to Loch of Harray, which is a nutrient-rich freshwater loch. Together these lochs support an unusual mixture of plants as well as notable populations of wintering ducks and some rare invertebrates, as shown in the above table.
    [Show full text]
  • The Origins of Avebury 2 1,* 2 2 Q13 Q2mark Gillings , Joshua Pollard & Kris Strutt 4 5 6 the Avebury Henge Is One of the Famous Mega
    1 The origins of Avebury 2 1,* 2 2 Q13 Q2Mark Gillings , Joshua Pollard & Kris Strutt 4 5 6 The Avebury henge is one of the famous mega- 7 lithic monuments of the European Neolithic, Research 8 yet much remains unknown about the detail 9 and chronology of its construction. Here, the 10 results of a new geophysical survey and 11 re-examination of earlier excavation records 12 illuminate the earliest beginnings of the 13 monument. The authors suggest that Ave- ’ 14 bury s Southern Inner Circle was constructed 15 to memorialise and monumentalise the site ‘ ’ 16 of a much earlier foundational house. The fi 17 signi cance here resides in the way that traces 18 of dwelling may take on special social and his- 19 torical value, leading to their marking and 20 commemoration through major acts of monu- 21 ment building. 22 23 Keywords: Britain, Avebury, Neolithic, megalithic, memory 24 25 26 Introduction 27 28 Alongside Stonehenge, the passage graves of the Boyne Valley and the Carnac alignments, the 29 Avebury henge is one of the pre-eminent megalithic monuments of the European Neolithic. ’ 30 Its 420m-diameter earthwork encloses the world s largest stone circle. This in turn encloses — — 31 two smaller yet still vast megalithic circles each approximately 100m in diameter and 32 complex internal stone settings (Figure 1). Avenues of paired standing stones lead from 33 two of its four entrances, together extending for approximately 3.5km and linking with 34 other monumental constructions. Avebury sits within the centre of a landscape rich in 35 later Neolithic monuments, including Silbury Hill and the West Kennet palisade enclosures 36 (Smith 1965; Pollard & Reynolds 2002; Gillings & Pollard 2004).
    [Show full text]
  • How to Tell a Cromlech from a Quoit ©
    How to tell a cromlech from a quoit © As you might have guessed from the title, this article looks at different types of Neolithic or early Bronze Age megaliths and burial mounds, with particular reference to some well-known examples in the UK. It’s also a quick overview of some of the terms used when describing certain types of megaliths, standing stones and tombs. The definitions below serve to illustrate that there is little general agreement over what we could classify as burial mounds. Burial mounds, cairns, tumuli and barrows can all refer to man- made hills of earth or stone, are located globally and may include all types of standing stones. A barrow is a mound of earth that covers a burial. Sometimes, burials were dug into the original ground surface, but some are found placed in the mound itself. The term, barrow, can be used for British burial mounds of any period. However, round barrows can be dated to either the Early Bronze Age or the Saxon period before the conversion to Christianity, whereas long barrows are usually Neolithic in origin. So, what is a megalith? A megalith is a large stone structure or a group of standing stones - the term, megalith means great stone, from two Greek words, megas (meaning: great) and lithos (meaning: stone). However, the general meaning of megaliths includes any structure composed of large stones, which include tombs and circular standing structures. Such structures have been found in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, North and South America and may have had religious significance. Megaliths tend to be put into two general categories, ie dolmens or menhirs.
    [Show full text]
  • The Significance of the Ancient Standing Stones, Villages, Tombs on Orkney Island
    The Proceedings of the International Conference on Creationism Volume 5 Print Reference: Pages 561-572 Article 43 2003 The Significance of the Ancient Standing Stones, Villages, Tombs on Orkney Island Lawson L. Schroeder Philip L. Schroeder Bryan College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/icc_proceedings DigitalCommons@Cedarville provides a publication platform for fully open access journals, which means that all articles are available on the Internet to all users immediately upon publication. However, the opinions and sentiments expressed by the authors of articles published in our journals do not necessarily indicate the endorsement or reflect the views of DigitalCommons@Cedarville, the Centennial Library, or Cedarville University and its employees. The authors are solely responsible for the content of their work. Please address questions to [email protected]. Browse the contents of this volume of The Proceedings of the International Conference on Creationism. Recommended Citation Schroeder, Lawson L. and Schroeder, Philip L. (2003) "The Significance of the Ancient Standing Stones, Villages, Tombs on Orkney Island," The Proceedings of the International Conference on Creationism: Vol. 5 , Article 43. Available at: https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/icc_proceedings/vol5/iss1/43 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ANCIENT STANDING STONES, VILLAGES AND TOMBS FOUND ON THE ORKNEY ISLANDS LAWSON L. SCHROEDER, D.D.S. PHILIP L. SCHROEDER 5889 MILLSTONE RUN BRYAN COLLEGE STONE MOUNTAIN, GA 30087 P. O. BOX 7484 DAYTON, TN 37321-7000 KEYWORDS: Orkney Islands, ancient stone structures, Skara Brae, Maes Howe, broch, Ring of Brodgar, Standing Stones of Stenness, dispersion, Babel, famine, Ice Age ABSTRACT The Orkney Islands make up an archipelago north of Scotland.
    [Show full text]