Barnhouse Settlement

For a building which contains both a barn and a house, see housebarn.

Barnhouse Settlement
History
House 3, remains of one of the houses in the Barnhouse Settlement, looking out over the Loch of Harray
Shown within Orkney Islands
Location	Mainland, Orkney
Region	Scotland
Coordinates	58°59′42″N 3°12′27″W / 58.9950°N 3.2075°W / 58.9950; -3.2075
Type	Neolithic settlement
Periods	Neolithic
Site notes
Ownership	Orkney Islands Council^[1]
Public access	Yes

The Neolithic Barnhouse Settlement is sited by the shore of Loch of Harray, Orkney Mainland, Scotland, not far from the Standing Stones of Stenness, about 5 miles north-east of Stromness.

It was discovered in 1984 by Colin Richards.^[2]^:45 Excavations were conducted between 1986 and 1991, over time revealing the base courses of at least 15 houses. The houses have similarities to those of the early phase of the better-known settlement at Skara Brae in that they have central hearths, beds built against the walls and stone dressers, but differ in that the houses seem to have been free-standing. The settlement dates back to circa 3000 BC.^[2]^:52

Pottery of the grooved ware type was found, as at the Stones of Stenness and Skara Brae.^[3]^:32 Flint and stone tools were found, as well as a piece of pitchstone thought to have come from the Isle of Arran.

The largest of the original buildings was House 2. It was double-sized, featuring a higher building standard than the other houses and unlike the others (rebuilt up to five times) seems to have remained in use throughout the inhabited period of the settlement. The houses were clustered around a central open area which was divided into areas for making pottery and the working of flint, bones and hides. Evidence suggests that Barnhouse was abandoned around 2600 BC.^[2]^:52

After Barnhouse ceased to be occupied, another structure was added, partially on top of the earlier building plans. This building (known as Structure 8) had a room about 7 m (23 ft) square with walls 3 m (10 ft) thick and an entrance facing towards the north west so that the midsummer sunset shines along the passageway, with similarities to some chambered cairns. The structure was surrounded by a clay platform. The entrance through this was aligned with Maeshowe. The structure is assumed to have served as a ceremonial site rather than as a dwelling.^[2]^:48,52,56 It is thought to be closely linked with the nearby Stones of Stenness. Some of the hearth slabs from the structure may have been moved to the Stones.^[3]^:32

This site is accessible to the public via a footpath from the Standing Stones of Stenness.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Barnhouse.

Pictures of Barnhouse Neolithic Settlement

References

↑ Heart of Neolithic Orkney - Management Plan 2014–19: Consultation Draft (PDF). Historic Scotland. 2013. p. 13.
1 2 3 4 The Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site Research Agenda (PDF). Part 2. Historic Scotland. 2005. ISBN 1-904-966-04-7.
1 2 Wickham-Jones, Caroline (2012). Monuments of Orkney. Historic Scotland. ISBN 978-1-84917-073-4.

Prehistoric Orkney

World Heritage Site	Maeshowe Ness of Brodgar Ring of Brodgar Skara Brae Standing Stones of Stenness

Other Neolithic Sites	Barnhouse Settlement Blackhammer Chambered Cairn Castle Bloody Cuween Hill Dwarfie Stane Holm of Papa Westray Knap of Howar Links of Noltland Midhowe Chambered Cairn Mor Stein Quoyness chambered cairn Rinyo Rousay Tomb of the Eagles Unstan Chambered Cairn Unstan ware Westray Wife

Iron Age Sites	Brough of Birsay Broch of Borwick Broch of Burrian Broch of Gurness Burroughston Broch Midhowe Broch Mine Howe Tankerness

Prehistoric technology

Tools

Farming

Food processing

Hunting

Arrow Boomerang throwing stick Bow and arrow history Nets Spear Spear-thrower baton harpoon woomera Schöningen Spears

Projectile points	Arrowhead Bare Island Cascade Clovis Cresswell Cumberland Eden Folsom Lamoka Manis Site Plano Transverse arrowhead

Toolmaking

Other tools

Architecture

Ceremonial	Göbekli Tepe Kiva Standing stones megalith row Stonehenge Pyramid

Dwellings	Neolithic architecture British megalith architecture Nordic megalith architecture Burdei Cave Cliff dwelling Dugout Hut Quiggly hole Jacal Longhouse Mud brick Mehrgarh Neolithic long house Pit-house Pueblitos Pueblo Rock shelter Blombos Cave Abri de la Madeleine Sibudu Cave Stone roof Roundhouse Stilt house Alp pile dwellings Wattle and daub

Water management	Check dam Cistern Flush toilet Reservoir Water well

Other architecture	Archaeological features Broch Burnt mound fulacht fiadh Causewayed enclosure Tor enclosure Circular enclosure Goseck Cursus Henge Thornborough Oldest buildings Megalithic architectural elements Midden Timber circle Timber trackway Sweet Track

Arts and culture

Material goods	Baskets Beadwork Beds Chalcolithic Clothing/textiles timeline Cosmetics Glue Hides shoes Ötzi Jewelry amber use Mirrors Pottery Cardium Grooved ware Linear Jōmon Unstan ware Sewing needle Weaving Wine Winery wine press

Prehistoric art	Art of the Upper Paleolithic Art of the Middle Paleolithic Blombos Cave List of Stone Age art Bird stone Bradshaw rock paintings Cairn Carved Stone Balls Cave paintings painting pigment Cup and ring mark Geoglyph Golden hats Guardian stones Megalithic art Petroform Petroglyph Petrosomatoglyph Pictogram Rock art Stone carving Sculpture Statue menhir Stone circle list British Isles and Brittany Venus figurines

Burial	Burial mounds Bowl barrow Round barrow Mound Builders culture U.S. sites Chamber tomb Severn-Cotswold Cist Dartmoor kistvaens Clava cairn Court tomb Cremation Dolmen Great dolmen Funeral pyre Gallery grave transepted wedge-shaped Grave goods Jar burial Long barrow unchambered Grønsalen Megalithic tomb Mummy Passage grave Rectangular dolmen Ring cairn Simple dolmen Stone box grave Tor cairn Tumulus Unchambered long cairn

Other cultural	Astronomy sites lunar calendar Behavioral modernity Origin of language Prehistoric medicine trepanning Evolutionary musicology music archaeology Prehistoric music Alligator drum flutes Divje Babe flute gudi Prehistoric numerals Origin of religion Paleolithic religion Prehistoric religion Spiritual drug use Prehistoric warfare Symbols symbolism

Coordinates: 58°59′42″N 3°12′27″W / 58.9950°N 3.2075°W / 58.9950; -3.2075

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