UNESCO World Heritage SiteUNESCO Heritage
United Kingdom

Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn

Neolithic chambered cairn in Orkney, Scotland

Location

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Historical Context

About

Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn (grid reference HY364127) is a Neolithic chambered cairn on Mainland, the main island of Orkney, Scotland, about 6 miles west of Kirkwall. It dates to around 3,000 BCE, and is similar in design to Maeshowe, but on a smaller scale. It was constructed by Neolithic farmers as a burial place. The cairn was excavated in 1901 and the remains of several humans and dogs were found, including skulls. In the 1990s, excavations uncovered the remains of a small Neolithic settlement at Stonehall, at the foot of Cuween Hill, and in 2019 images of a forensic model of one of the dog skulls were published.

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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Construction

c. 3000 BCE

Excavation 1901

1901

Stonehall settlement excavations

1990s

Forensic dog reconstruction published

2019-04-22

Classification

Archaeological Features

Unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site

category

Burial and Funerary Structures

TombsDolmensChambered cairns
category

Domestic and Habitation Structures

Villages
category

Environmental and Natural Features

Artificial Mounds
Knowledge Base

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Reference

Details

Country

United Kingdom

Coordinates

59.00° N, -3.11° E