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Near Midhowe, Rousay, Orkney

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Near Midhowe, Rousay, Orkney 320 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F SO , MARC , 1934H12 . IV. LONA G STALLED CHAMBERED CAIR MAUSOLEUR NO M (ROUSAY TYPE) NEAR MIDHOWE, ROUSAY, ORKNEY . J GRAHA Y B . M CALLANDER, LL.D., F.S.A.ScoT., DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OP ANTIQUITIE SCOTLANDP O S WALTED AN , . GRANTRG , F.S.A.ScoT. WITH A DESCRIPTION OP THE SKELETAL REMAINS, BY PROFESSOR ALEX. LOW, M.A., M.D., F.S.A.ScoT. On the south-west coast of the island of Rousay, Orkney, about 100 yards south-south-eas e brocth Midhowef f ho o t oblonn a s i , g grass- covered mound which lies roughly paralleaboud an yard 2 , 2 t to l s distant from, the seashore (fig. I).1 Before excavation it measured about 100 feet in length and about 30 feet in breadth, its main axis running 11° west of north magnetic, nearly north-north-wes south-south-eastd an t e Th . top stands about 9 feet high and some 35 feet above high-water mark. e landwarOth n d side mounth e d merges gently inte adjoininth o g field, \vhich risea graduall n i s y steepening ascent towards Mansemass Hill; on the side towards the sea the ground falls away in a slight slope to the edge of a low cliff. Apart from its shape, which formerly was partly obscured by a dry-stone dyke running along its crest, the only indication s artificias thawa f stone t o i t w l swerro e topa ef th o s peeping through the turf in a straight line near its western margin. To ascertain the character of the monument a short length of this line of stone s lai dswa shalloa bard ean w trench driven acros e mounth s d as far as the dyke on the top. These excavations disclosed a cairn of •stones wit wall-facha outside th witd n eo an eh chambers insider Fo . abou quartea t lengtmoune e th th f e wall-facef o rho d th , which runn si straigha e south-westertth lines lais a dr wa , barfa s ea n corner. This corne s squarewa r southere th , beind nen g buil t righa t t anglee th o st 1 When Mr Grant decided to excavate this site he asked Mr J. Hewat Craw to supervise and describe the operations. In July 1932 the entrance passage and the first three cells were examined, and some trial excavations were made at other parts to determine the limits of the structure withi e moundth n n JulI d Augus. an y t 193 e remainin3th g nine cells were exploredt bu , Mr Craw had to return home before the work was completed, leaving Mr Grant and myself to finish it. Before his lamented death a few weeks later Mr Craw had drafted a preliminary reporwore th 1932 f kn o o t, which, recashowevere b o t vien ti d f latewo ha , r discoveriesd ha e H . also kept very full working notee 193th 3f s operationso . Having followe e wholth d e coursf eo the excavations, we have been able to complete this account from the material left by Mr Craw anobservationsn dow fror m ou conveye w r Granno M .s e custodt ha d th monumene th f yo o t H.M. Office of Works.—J. G. C. CHAMBERED CAIRN NEAR MIDHOWE, ROUSAY, ORKNEY1 32 . mai e ncairn th axi f ,o s whil e south-easterth e n corne s roundedwa r . A short section of the straight wall-face near the centre of the eastern side, and the curved northern end were also cleared, but not to the foundation. No further excavation for the purpose of exposing the remaining par f thio t s wals undertakewa l d beeha n t n i 1933ni decide s a , o t d hand ove e monumenth r e custodth o t tf H.Myo . Offic Worksf o e , which Department, in the course of the operations necessary for its preservation, would uncove entire th r e periphery.1 This wor carries k wa t durindou g Fig . Midhow.1 e Chambered Cairn: View from south-west, showing Foundatio Outef no r Casing Wal Facd Parlf an eo Innef to r Wall. the present summer, when the remains of the face of an outer wall or casing were expose averagn a t da e distanc fee5 inchesf 6 feeteo 7 d t an , 9 inches outsid e inneeth ease rwesd th wal an t n t fe'eo l5 sides d t an , 9 feeinche4 inches6 d t an e snort th soutd t frohan a ht m i ends e th , intervening space being packed with smale lth stonen i s sA (fig. 2) . e innecasth f reo wall practicall s i outee e th , on r y straigh sidee th st a t and curved at the north end. The south end is similarly curved round the corners, while, as we have seen, the inner one is straight, except e south-easth t a t corner extreme Th . e lengtbuildine feeth 6 f hto 10 s gi 9 inches and the breadth 42 feet 6 inches. The e heighinneth f ro t casing still standing s exposea , y thb de This work was done after the paper was read, but before it went to press. 1 VOL. LXVIII. • 21 CHAMBERED CAIRN NEAR MIDHOWE, ROUSAY, ORKNEY3 32 . Offic f Workso e , varied from abou fee4 t o nearlt t e easth fee y5 tn o t r landwaro d sidefrod an ,m e west 3th e £centra fee 6 th n fee, o o tt t l section on each side being best preserved. This face of walling was nearly vertical and the stones were, as in ordinary building, laid on e flatth . Along the greater part of the west side nothing remained of the outer casing wall except the displaced foundation courses (fig. 1), but nearing the north end it survived to a height of about 2 feet. Along e easth t sid round et i showean e nort(fig ) th d 3 . en h d remarkable structural features. There wer foundatioo tw e n courses, each formed Fig . Midhow4 . e Chambered Cair n: Lowe r Par Casinf o t g Wall where directio slantinf no g stones (2)d alter.an ) s(1 of slab inche4 s inche5 o t s s thick e loweth , r projectin inche3 g o t s 4 inches outwards from the upper, which in its turn projected the same distance from the wall-face above it. These stepped foundation courses extended about three-quarters alon e easth g t side froe soutth m h corner, and were traced in places at the north end. In other parts the two foundation courses were laid flush. Above the foundation the stones in the face of the wall were set obliquely, their edges to the outside sloping downwards from left to right from the east side of the entrance passage round the south-east corner, and along the east side north-ease ture th th n ni s a r at sfa corner . Her directioe eth e th f no stones was reversed, the slant downwards being from right to left (fig. 4). This latter arrangemen s probablwa t y continued roun norte th d hen and along the west side and south end as far as the entrance passage, portions a t remainei f so position d i first-mentionee th t na d placed ,an 324 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 12, 1934. between the south-west corner and the entrance. Above the oblique buildin whas gwa t migh callee b t dstring-coursea , forme slaby b d s laid flat. At the best-preserved part the height from the top of the founda- tion courses to the top of the string-course was about 2£ feet. On the upper side of the string-course was a scarcement about 5 inches wide, above whic wale continues face th hf lwa th e o d upward storiesy sb , again built obliquely t slantin bu opposite , th n gi e direction from those below, thus formin gsora f herring-bono t e pattern (fig . Onl5) . shor. ya t length e uppeoth f r face remained, about half-way betwee e middlnth d ean Fig . Midhow.5 e Chambered Cairn: Fac f Casineo g Wall, showing lower (1) and upper (2) parts slanting in opposite directions, with string-course between. north end of the monument, where it survived to a height of about foo1 t mosta t . Very e outelittlth f ero casing remain t thsa e south muc o ends s ha , of the building has been taken away that the face of the inner wall is exposed (figs. 6 and 7). All that survives of the outer face is about 6 feet on either side of the doorway of the entrance passage leading int e buriaoth l chamber wese morth o n tn s sidO ei . t thaei inche0 n1 s ease th heighttn n i aboureduces o i foundatio e d t i feetth 2 ,t an o dt bu , n courses by the time it reaches the south-east corner. The doorway has been carefully built up flush with the outer wall (fig. 7). The entrance passage was originally 12 feet 9 inches in length, but the surviving portion from the face of the inner wall to where it enters the gallery is 8 feet 6 inches.
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