Crosskirk Broch

The Broch of Cross Kirk is Crosskirk, on the north coast of Scotland in the county of Caithness.

In the second half of the 1st millennium BC Broch created with more complex forms through which they gained mainly in height. An example from the beginning of this development is that of Horace Fairhurst 1966-1972 excavated Broch of Cross Kirk.

The radiocarbon data indicate that it was used almost 1000 years from the 8th century BC to the 2nd century AD. Unlike the Broch of Bu in Orkney, the wall of the structure is about six meters thick. The excavation, however, showed that the wall was only subsequently amplified. The original wall core was composed of earth and rubble stone and could not support the weight of a larger tower. Later designs were either (hollow inside) double or passed ( primarily on Orkney ) of solid but thinner walls. Therefore, the excavator of the Broch of Cross Kirk holds only a height of about 4.5 m for possible (which is a third of the height of the Broch of Mousa ).

The Broch of Cross Kirk has several characteristics that are found in classical Broch's not (anymore). For example, the small guard cell from both the entrance corridor, as well as from a larger cell in the wall of was available. This, in turn, shows a series of steps associated with a destroyed stairs. It is the multi-functional unit of three classical Broch elements that occur otherwise completely separated. In addition, the system was enclosed by an outer wall with a moat and the area in between filled with secondary structures. Ian Armit calls this type therefore a complex Roundhouse.