The Corrimony Chambered Cairn is a well-preserved Neolithic burial site located near Glenurquhart in the Highlands of Scotland. This ancient monument features a passage grave, encircled by a ring of standing stones. It dates back to around 2000 BC and offers a fascinating glimpse into the burial practices and ceremonial activities of the region’s early inhabitants. The cairn is a significant historical site, providing insights into the Neolithic period and the people who engineered these sophisticated structures.
Funerary Structures
Midhowe Chambered Cairn
The Midhowe Chambered Cairn is a large Neolithic tomb located on the Orkney Islands, Scotland. It’s part of the Rousay island’s “Great Ship of Death,” a nickname that reflects its elongated shape and size. This cairn is one of the most impressive and well-preserved tombs from the Neolithic period in northern Europe. It provides valuable insights into the burial practices and spiritual beliefs of the communities that thrived in Orkney over 5,000 years ago.
Hopewell Mounds
The Hopewell Mounds are a collection of earthen mounds and geometric earthworks that were part of the Hopewell culture, which flourished from 200 BCE to 500 CE. These mounds are primarily located in the Ohio River Valley in the United States. They are named after the Hopewell Farm in Ross County, Ohio, where a large concentration of mounds was discovered. The Hopewell Mounds are significant for their complex structures, which include burial mounds and ceremonial spaces, and for the sophisticated artifacts found within them, such as finely crafted metalwork and exotic materials that indicate a wide trade network.
Tomb of the Eagles (Isbister Chambered Cairn)
The Tomb of the Eagles, also known as Isbister Chambered Cairn, is a Neolithic chambered tomb located on the island of South Ronaldsay in Orkney, Scotland. Discovered in 1958 by local farmer Ronnie Simison, the site dates back to around 3000 BC. It gained its nickname due to the discovery of around 16,000 human bones and 725 bird bones, many of which were from white-tailed sea eagles. This suggests that the eagles held some significance for the tomb’s builders. The site offers a fascinating glimpse into Neolithic life and death, and it has become an important location for archaeological research and public interest.
Unstan Chambered Cairn
The Unstan Chambered Cairn is a Neolithic tomb located on the Mainland of the Orkney Islands, Scotland. It’s a remarkable example of the Orkney-Cromarty type of chambered cairn, which dates back to around 3400 to 2800 BC. The cairn was discovered in the 19th century and has since been a subject of archaeological interest. It features a large, round mound with a central chamber and is known for its distinctive architecture and the artifacts found within, including pottery that has given its name to a style of Neolithic ware: Unstan ware. The site offers insights into the burial practices and ceremonial activities of the Neolithic people of Orkney.
Dolmen de Soto
The Dolmen de Soto is a prehistoric tomb located in Trigueros, Huelva, in southwestern Spain. It is one of the most significant examples of megalithic architecture in the region. This ancient monument, dating back to the 4th millennium BC, consists of a large stone chamber and a long corridor, both built with large stone slabs. The Dolmen de Soto was discovered in 1923 and has since been a subject of archaeological interest and study, offering insights into the burial practices and beliefs of the people who constructed it.