Maeshowe Chambered Cairn

Maeshowe was built around five thousand years ago and represents a substantial achievement in Neolithic stone construction. Beneath its grassy mound, a long passage leads to a central chamber with three smaller cells. Exceptionally large sandstone slabs form much of the passage and other structural elements. Its careful orientation allows the setting sun to illuminate the chamber during the weeks around the winter solstice, linking the building with the seasonal movement of the sun. After centuries of funerary use, the tomb was closed. Much later, Norse visitors entered the mound and carved runic messages and images into the walls. These inscriptions form a separate medieval layer in the monument’s history and should not be confused with its original construction. The surviving cairn therefore records both the architectural knowledge of Orkney’s early farming communities and the curiosity of later inhabitants who encountered their monuments. Period: Neolithic; approximately 3000 BC, with later Norse inscriptions Grid reference: HY 3182 1277 Protection: Source: Historic Environment Scotland, https://www.trove.scot/place/2094 (Open Government Licence). Contains Historic Environment Scotland data licensed under the Open Government Licence; source compiler retained per record. Banner photo: "Maeshowe Chambered Cairn - geograph.org.uk - 3221595" by Russel Wills, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0.