Knowe of Yarso Chambered Cairn

Knowe of Yarso is a Neolithic chambered cairn on the Orkney island of Rousay. Its surviving passage leads into a chamber divided by upright stone slabs, an arrangement characteristic of the island’s stalled burial monuments. Although roofing stones were removed in antiquity, much of the ancient walling survives close to its original height. Excavation in the 1930s recovered the remains of at least twenty-nine people. Seventeen skulls had been arranged beside one another, showing deliberate treatment of human remains, although the beliefs behind that arrangement are unknown. Deer bones, flint objects and pottery were also found. The monument belongs broadly to the period between 3500 and 2500 BC, with some pottery indicating later activity. Its contents demonstrate repeated use and the incorporation of material beyond human burials, rather than identifying named occupants or a single funerary event. Period: Neolithic; later prehistoric use Grid reference: HY 4048 2795 Protection: Source: Historic Environment Scotland, https://www.trove.scot/place/2623 (Open Government Licence). Contains Historic Environment Scotland data licensed under the Open Government Licence; source compiler retained per record. Banner photo: "Knowe of Yarso, Neolithic chambered cairn, Rousay, Orkney" by MichaelMaggs, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.