Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn Mainland Orkney
Cuween Cairn
Neolithic (c.3000 BCE)·Orcadian Neolithic·🇬🇧 Orkney, Mainland, Firth, United Kingdom
About
About Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn Mainland Orkney
Well-preserved hill-slope cairn with low crawl entrance, excavated 1901 yielding eight human skulls and dog burials, above Bay of Firth. Recorded context — Period: Neolithic (c.3000 BCE); Culture: Orcadian Neolithic; Field status: excavated; Materials: flagstone; Condition: preserved.
Why it mattersKey Orcadian Neolithic megalithic with stratified sequence and regional typology.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Chronology and phasing
Theories
- 01Defensive stronghold
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 3000 BCE
- Period
- Neolithic (c.3000 BCE)
- Culture
- Orcadian Neolithic
- Purpose
- Maes Howe-type cairn — elite burial in chamber with side cells
- Rediscovered
- Modern excavation 1967
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 3000 BCE
Initial construction / first occupation at Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn Mainland Orkney
1890 excavation
Modern rediscovery and scientific excavation of Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn Mainland Orkney
c. 400 BCE major extension
Major expansion / refurbishment at Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn Mainland Orkney
On the ground
Structures & features
59.0140° N · 3.0860° W · 72 m · 3 mapped features
- Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn Mainland Orkney — Principal Standing Stonestanding stonestanding stone at Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn Mainland Orkney — primary structure59.0147° N · 3.0873° W
- Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn Mainland Orkney — Chamber Annex 2chamberchamber at Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn Mainland Orkney — subsidiary complex59.0152° N · 3.0867° W
- Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn Mainland Orkney — Cairn Annex 3cairncairn at Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn Mainland Orkney — outlier feature59.0125° N · 3.0871° W
Gallery