Archaeologists uncover remains of 2,500 yr old Iron Age tower in ...

Tag : building iron
According to a report in the Scotsman, the structure, which hasbeen uncovered at the Cairns, South Ronaldsay, was created around2,500 years ago and would have been about 70ft wide.

The three-week dig has revealed a complex of buildings, with theremains of the stone tower, or broch, at the centre.

On the outside, the tower would have been around 70 feet wide -bigger than Orkney's best preserved brochs at Gurness in Evie andMidhowe in Rousay.

Martin Carruthers, a lecturer at Orkney College who is leading thedig team, estimated that the walls could have been around 16 feettall, with a conical turf roof.

"Around 2,500 years ago, if you'd sailed into the bay, you'd haveseen this incredibly impressive building up on the hill. We aremarvelling at the confidence of those who put together a buildingof this substance and bulk," he said.

"Virtuoso builders were needed to create a monumental structure ofthis kind. Dry-stone building skills reached their zenith with asophisticated building like this," he added.

The buildings uncovered so far are thought to date from around400BC to AD400.
--- ANI