Heart of Neolithic Orkney
End of 1999, some of the most important cultural monuments on Orkney (Scotland, UK) were given under the name of The Heart of Neolithic Orkney awarded by UNESCO status as a World Heritage Site. This followed a more than ten years of ongoing application process.
The original application was limited to the Stones of Stenness, the Ring of Brodgar and the Maeshowe Cairn. Later, the scattered between the major objects menhirs were added to capture the entire ensemble of Brodgar - Stenness Area.
After a final inspection in the spring of 1999, the International Council endorsed the concept of Monuments and Sites ( ICOMOS International Council on Monuments and Sites ), but brought at the same time be regretted that the Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae had found in the previous method, no consideration. As a result, Skara Brae was included in the final designation of World Heritage The Heart of Neolithic Orkney, together with the surrounding conservation area under national law.
Originally called the Neolithic Heart of Orkney monument is defined in Article 1 of the World Heritage Convention of 1972 categorized as a group of sites and acts as an overall monument dedication criteria I to IV of the Convention.
Based on this assessment was then confirmed by the second date, four complexes in Scotland as a World Heritage Site The Heart of Neolithic Orkney as.
The categorization as a group of individual properties and the spatial binding to the two conservation areas led Scottish Executive after the official confirmation to a protocol note that it had not existed so far to go: Scottish Executive explained as a kind of commitment all the cultural monuments of the relevant areas of the world Heritage Sites in the strict sense be equated and protect them accordingly - regardless of whether they were already known at the time of the statement, or are yet to be discovered. Had a first practical consequence of this is something north-west of the Neolithic settlement in the district Barnhouse the Stones of Stenness: In the first application Barnhouse was indeed localized, but not yet been excavated and studied. The settlement takes place in the grounds for bringing a World Heritage Site solely for informational purposes and rather casually mention, but is now generally attributed to the World Heritage Site.
Meanwhile, Scottish Executive and Historic Scotland as the responsible management agency within the meaning of the World Heritage Convention even gone a step further: Currently, an application running on a very important extension of the geographical scope, which is to serve, in particular, the Henge Monument of the Ring of Bookan together the neighboring Cairns, the Unstan Cairn from the 3rd millennium BC and about three kilometers away, northwest of Maeshowe located Kingsknowes o ' Trotty ( mound ) from the 2nd millennium BC included.
For scientific research, the expulsion in every respect has been worthwhile. Alone in the archaeological field research flowed since the appointment about three times as much as in the comparative prior years. This has enabled a number of teams in a position to largely free to do research from earlier ubiquitous cost pressure with the use of modern technology. In 2004 and 2005 results were evident only by the geophysical investigations of years that are likely to lead eventually to a complete reassessment of the situation on the Brodgar peninsula. Thus, for example, is pretty sure within a dykes, which runs north-west of Bookan across the peninsula and the previously dyke as much younger field (ie, field or Gemarkungsgrenze ) was interpreted, at least one additional, previously unknown Neolithic to have discovered settlement ( probably two), and also several cairns and some lying in the ground, previously unknown objects, probably strikingly large stones with unknown purpose.
Also touristy World Heritage is a complete success. Orkney comprises approximately 20 percent growth per year, the highest growth rates in almost all of Scotland to. Essential part is the advent of visitors of cruises, which has almost doubled in the period in question - and they all have the world heritage as an integral part in the country program.
Same time, this also the first massive problems for the maintenance and preservation of future investments for a. The Schwitzwasserprobleme in Maeshowe eg developed in such a way that dramatically since the summer of 2006, the daily visitor numbers had to be limited. Very similar problems are emerging for the grounds of Skara Brae and even the newly built Visitor Centre at the local site from, although the adjacent location mansion Skaill House since its opening to the public on a par with markets to equalize the flow of visitors in Skara Brae.
Descriptions of the individual objects can be found in articles listed below:
- The settlements Skara Brae Neolithic Settlement
- Barnhouse Neolithic Settlement
- Stones of Stenness
- Ring of Brodgar