Some stop press news. Archaeologists returned to Minehowe (http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/minehowe) for a fourth season last week. Returning to the site of an Iron Age metalworking structure (http://www.orkneyjar.com/archaeology/minehowe2003.htm) outside the ditch surrounding the underground chamber itself, they have begun to unearth the remains of a complete skeleton. The burial took place well after the building was constructed and saw a grave being dug in the floor of the "workshop" and the body interred. After the grave was covered over the work continued in the structure as normal. It's early days yet. Only the pelvis, lower backbone, legs and segments of the arms were visible today, so the sex and age of the deceased is not yet known. However, given the scarcity of Iron Age burials in Scotland, let alone Orkney, the archeologists are very exciting. I was going to be posting an article online this evening, along with photographs. But I've gone and left my pendrive in Kirkwall! -- Sigurd Towrie Blackhall - Kirbister - Stromness - Orkney Heritage of Orkney: www.orkneyjar.com Home: sigurd@orkneyjar.com Work: sigurd.towrie@orcadian.co.uk
----- Original Message ----- From: "Sigurd Towrie" <sigurd@orkneyjar.com> To: <ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, August 09, 2004 9:37 PM Subject: [<orcadia>] Skeleton discovered at Minehowe > Some stop press news. > > Archaeologists returned to Minehowe > (http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/minehowe) for a fourth season last week. > Returning to the site of an Iron Age metalworking structure > (http://www.orkneyjar.com/archaeology/minehowe2003.htm) outside the ditch > surrounding the underground chamber itself, they have begun to unearth the > remains of a complete skeleton. > > The burial took place well after the building was constructed and saw a > grave being dug in the floor of the "workshop" and the body interred. After > the grave was covered over the work continued in the structure as normal. > > It's early days yet. Only the pelvis, lower backbone, legs and segments of > the arms were visible today, so the sex and age of the deceased is not yet > known. However, given the scarcity of Iron Age burials in Scotland, let > alone Orkney, the archeologists are very exciting. Hmm now that's interesting, whats so exiting about them then.