Unstan Chambered Cairn

The Unstan Cairn (also Onstan ) is a hybrid between a passage tomb of Maes Howe type and a Stalled Cairn from the so-called Orkney - Cromarty type. Some features such as the lateral approach, the auxiliary chamber and the round hills are for Stalled Cairns unusual elements, only Stalled Cairn Bigland Round also has a round hill.

Location

It lies on the Orkney island of Mainland, close to the A965 road which leads from Stromness to Kirkwall, four kilometers away from Stromness. The facility is located on a small peninsula on the Loch of Stenness overlooks the point at which the fresh water of the hole mixes with the salt water of the Bay of Ireland, the northernmost bay of Scapa Flow. The peninsula is separated by a low mound of unknown date from the surrounding area.

Description

In the oval, in 1884 excavated the cairn is 8.4 m long and up to two meters wide, divided into nine segments chamber. The slightly bulged on the long sides space is divided by projecting both sides of the dry stone walls, partially damaged disks. For systems of the type Stalled Cairn unusual are the round hill, the ( 7,8 m long ) side (and not axially located ) access and a centrally located secondary chamber. The removed the roof of the plant has been replaced by a modern concrete floor after the state 1934, the plant took charge.

From the Cairn of the Ring of Brodgar and Maes Howe are visible to the east. The menhir of Deepdale is visible to the west.

The chamber - the front left side of the access to cell

The side chamber

Finds

A lot of human and animal bones were found, but neither registered nor preserved. Among them were a number of intact skeletons in the chamber and two in the side of the cell; all in a crouched position.

It is those megalithic, after the Neolithic Unstan goods, a typical ceramic was in the northern part of the British Isles, named. The 1884 excavation showed zerscherbte made ​​pottery from at least 30 of the finely decorated bowls.

As Maes Howe by Norman seems to have been additionally afflicted by Picts Unstan. Weak visible can be seen on the stone, which is located above the entrance, carved runes. In addition, a deeply incised Pictish typical bird is depicted.