After leaving Neolithic Orkney behind, we headed for the Broch of Gurness. The Broch of Gurness is an iron age broch village, again, in remarkably good condition. It is estimated to be 2500 years old.
It appears that there might have been up to 14 individual homes within this settlement. Archaeologists also found evidence of iron works as well as kilns which would have been used for drying either corn or clay.
.jpg)
Each broch was built over a cistern. The purpose of the cistern is unclear, but it is thought that perhaps it was used for ritual ceremonies.
Most of the homes also had a "tank" which was used to hold water. This was usually situated near the hearth so that rocks could be heated over the fire, then put into the tank to warm the water for cooking.
Around the outside of the settlement was a rampart - a ditch. This may have been for protection or it may have been from a previous, much earlier, settlement.
No comments:
Post a Comment