Excavation of a Neolithic Temple. 185 by Charles S. T
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EXCAVATIO NEOLITHIA F NO C5 18 TEMPLE. XI. E REPOREXCAVATIOTH N O T NEOLITHIA F NO C TEMPLT EA STANYDAL PARISE TH SANDSTINGF N HEO I , SHETLAND. BY CHARLES S. T. CALDER, A.R.I.A.S., F.S.A.ScoT. Read October 1950.9, e cours th survea n f I eo f antiquitieyo Shetlann i sInventorye th r dfo x published by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monu- ment Scotlandf so attentioy m , attractes remainne wa th o dt t Stanydalsa e oa structuref f uncommoo n design e disconnecteTh . d outline f inneo s r face wallf so s that were then discernibl rickle th growt e stonef en ei th o d hsan of vegetation at the site suggested such a perplexing departure from the normal that closer investigation of the phenomena seemed to be desirable. The opportunity solvo t riddlee eth , however t occuno d r unti,di summee lth r of 1949, privileges whewa nI carro dt t excavationyou r behaln o sou f o f Society. Permissiokindls wa g y Jame r . Taitdi give S M . o n t y ,snM b facto r to the Marquis of Zetland, and to him and to the Society, which generously financed the operations, I would here express my grateful thanks. I am indebted also to Mr R. B. K. Stevenson, Keeper of the National Museum of Scotland, to Mr M. Y. Orr of the Royal Botanic Garden, and to Mr R. Eckfor e Geologicath f o d l Surve f Greao y t Britain r theifo , r respective reportpotterye th stones e n timbee so th th , d .ran In the Inventory, the monument to which I refer has been described from surface indications as of "Indeterminate Character" on account of the meagreness of detail at the time of visit and for lack of any known compar- able exampl r guidancs classefo it textua A o t . s ea l qualification states tha t i "possesset s features that f clearlmarof t i ky froy sepulchraman l monument observed elsewher Islands,e th n e i tha d "t an "findi t closess it s t analogy in certain of the early domestic sites." 2 That these statements are not substantiated in fact is revealed in the materia exposew no l spadeworky db d indeean , da convers e view better meets the case. Some of the principal features at Stanydale distinctly connect the structure with sepulchral monuments, but no analogous domestic buildings have ever been recorded. On full exposure, the plan of the remains developed into a form without parallel in the British Isles, but it became clearly evident tha wore tth k bor unmistakabln ea e likenes somn si e respects to a group of local megalithic tombs (figs. 1 and 9). These tombs are a recent discovery of the Royal Commission, and one of the distinguishing mark typicaa f o s l specime concava s ni e facade, together wit hroundea d 1 Inventory of Shetland, Twelfth Report, vol. Hi. * Ibid., . 102p , Art . 1401no . 186 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1949-50. back forming an outline to which the term "heel-shaped" has been applied from its resemblance to the heel of a boot. geographicae Th l situatio remaine th f no t Stanydalsa e falls withie nth are distributiof ao thif no s grou cairnf havinpn o i d s an gcommoa (fig, 2) . n "heel-shaped" outline and a similar building technique a close association typeo tw se obecometh f s manifest. This relationship pointagreen a o st - ment of ideas from which it may be deduced that both kinds of monument were erected by people of the same culture, and for the cairns at least the period has been ascribed to a Late Neolithic date.1 A notable difference in the lay-out of their respective chambers, however, presupposes that each type fulfille totalla d y differen t Stanydala t e functionon e eTh display. sa unique internal arrangement, as may be gathered from the following descriptive resultrepore excavatione th th n f o sto . On property belongin Marquie th o gt Zetlandf o s site t th Stanydal,ea e lies on the lower ground of the scattald between the township of that name and the high rocky ridge to the south known as the Hamars (fig. 3). It is marke "Cumla s 6-ince da th n h"o Ordnance ZetlandSurvef o p yma , Sheet No. XLVII, and is situated 650 yards west-north-west of the bridge over e roa th e Bur dn th f o Scuttfroo ne m Vo aRoadsid o Grutingt e e Th . surrounding area is studded with a goodly number of antiquities, but the three nearest cumls to the south noted as sites on the map have disappeared, and the precise character of three to the north cannot be determined in their ruinous and overgrown condition. The monument itselgrass-coveres wa f d ove outee rth r facoved e ean r th eastern half of the interior, which had been cleared of loose stones for use as a sheepfold, the debris being piled up in the western hah. No attempt had been made to level the area before laying the foundatio0 n of walling, which e naturaresteth n do l surfac followed an e e configurationth d e th f o , ground on a gentle downward' slope from south-west to north-east. Walling.—The walling averaged 12^ feet in thickness at the base, and had probably thinned somewhat in its rise to the wall-head by a batter on the outer face. It was built of rough massive blocks of stone set in- discriminatel edgn y o r bed d steadieo e an , largy db e pinnings where th e 2 seatin uneve s e stonegwa th r no s irregula shape n i walre Th l .enclose da single chamber, and the largest and best stones had been selected for the interior face. Some of the stones were estimated to weigh 7 or 8 cwt., and the tallest rose to a height of 3 feet 10 inches above the floor. In places around the inside face two or three courses of masonry existed, but the wall generall beed yha n reduce lowess it o dt t member (Pis. XVI XVII, 6),a d . an ,a "Heel-shaped plan o " n externally e buildin th t ,wit e se concav hth s gi e 1 Inventory of Orkney Shetland,d an . 21 d Intro.an 6 . , volpp . i . 2 " Calcareou micaceoud san sSandstond sandstonRe d Ol ef e o Age , altere hardened dan movey db - men heat,d an t " from Br repor, M Eckford y b t . EXCAVATION OF A NEOLITHIC TEMPLE. 187 SECTIOD NC- ENTRANCE PH PH NATURAL GRAVELLY SOIL SECTION A-B C.S.T.C ALDER IO S O 10 20 minimi 4O SOFEET STANYDALE, SHETLAND Pig. 1. 188 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1949-50. • •CHAMBERED C CI5TED O Q CONTENT UNKNOWN HEEL-SHAPED CAIRNS AND DERIVATIVES Fig. 2. Distribution Map. EXCAVATIO NEOLITHIA F NO C TEMPLE. 189 facade on the east, and it measures in extreme axial dimensions 65 feet and 55 fee lengtn i t breadtd han h respectively. Entrance.—The entrance passage, which pierce middle facade sth th f eo e and is now minus its lintels, varies from 2 feet 3 inches to 2 feet 10 inches in s width10i ^d fee an length,n i t t fronread A .an tr respectivel ya ston e ker s bee e floobha th npartls i r d setan ,y pave partld dan y rock. There door-checkso n e ar t abou foobu ,e eithen o on t rinnee (PIsidd th f en re.o XIX, 6) there is a setting of smallish stones marked S on the plan, having in eac earthfasn ha t stone risin inchet 2 mosga 1 o t ts above e flooth eth f o r Fig. 3. Map showing site of Temple. Fig. 4. Shouldered Stone, Hal Tarxien. Sketch, from photograph by Zammit. chamber in a position which implies that the settings may have been a devic placeo eengags o t securinr s da ba ea bottoe gdoore th th mf .o Atten- tion is drawn to the south rear jamb of the passage consisting of an orthostat, which is worked for 10 inches down from the top to a shoulder 12 inches wide doubo n , e betteth t o receivt r a eneighbourin g cours f masonryo e . This is a feature met elsewhere in megalithic construction, and it is to be seen in an exaggerated form also in the ingoing of an entrance, in the earliest temple of a group at the Hal Tarxien in Malta (fig. 4).1 Chamber.—The chamber appears as a well-shaped oval extending to the exceptiona axese paving-slath lfee A 2 dimensionn .2 o t y t b 9 me 3 s bi f so wit enteringn ho t elsewherbu , flooe e th simpl s i r trodden-dowe yth n subsoil. According to local information, the paucity of paving is due to the scarcity of good flagstones in the area. A striking feature of the internal composition is the finish of the western half in a series of six wide and contiguous apsidal recesses, while in the eastern half the wall-face is plain and unbroken (Pis. XX, a and 6, XXI, a). The recessed compartments average 8 feet in length by 4 feet in depth and are separated from each other by radial partitions 1 Archceologia, vol.