United Kingdom

Cairnpapple Hill

Neolithic ritual hill in central Scotland

Location

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Historical Context

About

Cairnpapple Hill is a hill with a dominating position in central lowland Scotland with views from coast to coast. It was used and re-used as a major ritual site for around 4000 years, and in its day would have been comparable to better known sites like the Standing Stones of Stenness. The summit lies 312 m above sea level, and is about 2 miles (3 km) north of Bathgate. In the 19th century the site was completely concealed by trees, then in 1947–1948 excavations by Stuart Piggott found a series of ritual monuments from successive prehistoric periods. In 1998, Gordon Barclay re-interpreted the site for Historic Scotland. It is designated a scheduled ancient monument.

Paleolithic
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Period
Post-Classical Period
Early Modern Period
Industrial Period
Contemporary Period
Temporal Epochs

Historical Timeline

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Silver discovered at Hilderston

1606

Stuart Piggott excavations

1947048

Gordon Barclay reinterpretation

1998

Beaker-style burial and wooden objects

c. 2000 BC

Henge constructed

c. 3000 BC

Neolithic rituals begin

c. 3500 BC

Classification

Archaeological Features

Unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site

category

Burial and Funerary Structures

CairnsCistsGravesInverted-urn cremation burials
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Industrial and Craft Structures

Mines
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Religious and Ritual Structures

HengeTimber circle (post holes)Standing stones
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Environmental and Natural Features

Artificial MoundsLandscaped Earthworks
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Astronomical and Timekeeping Structures

Stone Alignments
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Food Production and Processing Features

Hearths
Knowledge Base

Frequently Asked Questions

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Reference

Details

Country

United Kingdom

Coordinates

55.93° N, -3.62° E