Finally managed to access my now defunct zip disk. The Warebeth chamber was, according to the report played on the radio in April 2002, found about 20 years ago when a crag in a flagstone was noticed on the beach under the cliff below the Warebeth cemetery. The flagstone was removed and for a few days locals had a good explore of the chamber, which was accessible via a set of stone steps. Returning a few days later they found it had been mysteriously "concreted over overnight". The chamber in question is undoubtedly the broch (o' Warebeth/Munkerhoose) well, exposed on a naturally formed ledge on the cliff face on the same old ground surface level on which the broch was built. Below this cover, steep, almost vertical steps led down behind the section to a very finely constructed well chamber. In the water athe bottom and banked against the steps (down which it had been thrown) was a mass of midden material, in particular a number of coprolites (fossilised human excrement). This was excavated in 1980 after the discovery of the chamber. Sigurd

On Mon, 19 Apr 2004 13:42:44 +0100, Sigurd Towrie wrote: > The chamber in question is undoubtedly the broch (o' > Warebeth/Munkerhoose) well, exposed on a naturally formed ledge on > the cliff face on the same old ground surface level on which the > broch was built. Below this > cover, steep, almost vertical steps led down behind the section to > a very finely constructed well chamber. In the water athe bottom > and banked against the steps (down which it had been thrown) was a > mass of midden material, in particular a number of coprolites > (fossilised human excrement). Would you believe that in my inbox today is a paper from archaeolgist Beverly Balin Smith on the excavation of the above well. This will be going online at http://www.orkneydigs.org.uk/dhl in due course. Sigurd

Sigurd, I was surprised when I was there at the wonderful condition of all the ruins - still standing after all this time - the stones weathered, but not eroded very much, considering how old they are. Is this due to the Orkney climate? Lack of air pollution? Charlie Petersen Port Townsend, Washington ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sigurd Towrie" <sigurd@orkneyjar.com> To: <ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, April 19, 2004 5:58 AM Subject: Re: [<orcadia>] Warebeth Chamber > On Mon, 19 Apr 2004 13:42:44 +0100, Sigurd Towrie wrote: > > > The chamber in question is undoubtedly the broch (o' > > Warebeth/Munkerhoose) well, exposed on a naturally formed ledge on > > the cliff face on the same old ground surface level on which the > > broch was built. Below this > > cover, steep, almost vertical steps led down behind the section to > > a very finely constructed well chamber. In the water athe bottom > > and banked against the steps (down which it had been thrown) was a > > mass of midden material, in particular a number of coprolites > > (fossilised human excrement). > > Would you believe that in my inbox today is a paper from archaeolgist Beverly Balin Smith on the excavation of the above well. > > This will be going online at http://www.orkneydigs.org.uk/dhl in due course. > > Sigurd > > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the word > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com > >