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Iron Age Britain, Barry Cunliffe

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<< Our Photo Pages >> Jarlshof - Ancient Village or Settlement in Scotland in Shetland

Submitted by enkidu41 on Monday, 17 March 2014  Page Views: 21503

Multi-periodSite Name: Jarlshof
Country: Scotland County: Shetland Type: Ancient Village or Settlement

Map Ref: HU397096  Landranger Map Number: 4
Latitude: 59.869650N  Longitude: 1.292833W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
no data Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
no data Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
no data Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
4
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I have visited· I would like to visit

Mazlow would like to visit

SandyG visited on 11th Jun 2019 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 5 A must visit site. There is so much to see - a veritable palimpsest.

MapmakerJenny2 visited on 6th Jul 2017 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 5 Access: 4 Wonderful place to visit!

SolarMegalith visited on 10th Jun 2015 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 5

eforrest25 visited on 26th May 2014 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 4 Access: 5

Jansold visited on 1st May 2005 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 4

43559959 visited on 4th Mar 2004 Facinating site despite heavy rain.

jeffrep DrewParsons PAB lizh davidmorgan have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.4 Ambience: 4.6 Access: 4.6

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by LizH : This picture of Jarlshof shows the beautiful setting of the site, and I think the foreground is the bronze age buildings! (Vote or comment on this photo)
The settlement of Jarlshof ("Laird's House") has a remarkable sequence of over 3,500 years virtually continuous occupation. It starts with houses of the Skara Brae type dating from perhaps as early as 2,000 BCE and continues with late Bronze Age houses of the type found for example at Stanydale.

Next were early Iron Age people constructing circular houses, some with souterrains. These were followed some time later by the builders of the broch with walled garth which, in turn, was succeeded by a whole series of different structures including an aisled round-house, a wheel-house, which was occupied right up until the time of the Norsemen, a norse house and a mediaeval farmhouse taking settlement right up to the 17th century CE.

Note: Watch the new animated reconstruction of Jarlshof, see the most recent comment on our page
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Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by DrewParsons : View into one of the buildings at Jarlshof (Vote or comment on this photo)

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by jeffrep : Best Preserved Iron Age Dwelling at Jarlshof Settlement, South Mainland, Shetland, Scotland (Vote or comment on this photo)

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by jeffrep : Remains of Iron Age Broch Walls at Jarlshof Settlement, South Mainland, Shetland, Scotland (Vote or comment on this photo)

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by jeffrep : Inside Wheelhouse at Jarlshof Settlement, South Mainland, Shetland, Scotland (Vote or comment on this photo)

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by jeffrep : Iron Age Dwelling and Souterrain Entrance (right) at Jarlshof Settlement, South Mainland, Shetland, Scotland

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by davidmorgan : Looking down on some of the passages at Jarlshof.

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by jeffrep : Iron Age Aisled Roundhouse at Jarlshof Settlement, South Mainland, Shetland, Scotland

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by jeffrep : Rear of Wheelhouse at Jarlshof Settlement, South Mainland, Shetland, Scotland

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by jeffrep : Bronze Age Smithy Area at Jarlshof Settlement, South Mainland, Shetland, Scotland

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by jeffrep : Iron Age Trough Querns at Jarlshof Settlement, South Mainland, Shetland, Scotland (2 comments)

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by jeffrep : The Later Entrance to the Wheelhouse at Jarlshof Settlement, South Mainland, Shetland, Scotland

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by DrewParsons : Jarlshof - interior of a neolithic house photographed in October 2002

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by swatson : This site was partly uncovered by a storm in 1905 and contains evidence of habitation from neolithic to viking times. These round structures are Bronze Age.

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by LizH : Jarlshof, Shetland. This is the broch (now built over by other buildings). There are a variety of buildings at Jarlshof, dating from different ages. There are remains of a Bronze age settlement, a broch, a wheelhouse, and a Norse house, and finally a medieval bulding. (2 comments)

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by SandyG : Bronze Age house with Laird's House in the background.

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by SandyG : A Norse house.

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by SandyG : Wheelhouse interior.

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by SandyG : Passageway leading into a wheelhouse.

Jarlshof - Wheelhouse entrance
Jarlshof - Wheelhouse entrance submitted by MapmakerJenny2 : The entrance into the wheelhouse. Accessed from the pathway.

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by SolarMegalith : Interior of a well-preserved Iron Age wheelhouse in Jarlshof (photo taken on June 2015). (1 comment)

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by SolarMegalith : Remains of the Bronze Age settlement in Jarlshof (photo taken on June 2015). (1 comment)

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by jeffrep : Norse Settlement Dwelling at Jarlshof Settlement, South Mainland, Shetland, Scotland

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by pab : Jarsloff, looking across to the fort on Ness of Burgi. (2 comments)

Jarlshof
Jarlshof submitted by cosmic : Wheelhouse from above

These are just the first 25 photos of Jarlshof. If you log in with a free user account you will be able to see our entire collection.

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 1.1km SW 226° Tonga Fort, Scatness* Stone Fort or Dun (HU38890879)
 1.3km NW 322° Sumburgh Airport Broch* Broch or Nuraghe (HU389106)
 1.6km SW 218° Ness of Burgi* Stone Fort or Dun (HU387083)
 1.7km NNE 18° Brough Head Broch* Broch or Nuraghe (HU4020511242)
 5.1km N 4° Southvoe Broch* Broch or Nuraghe (HU400147)
 5.1km N 2° Southvoe Burnt Mound* Artificial Mound (HU39821475)
 6.2km N 10° Broch of Dalsetter* Broch or Nuraghe (HU40751567)
 6.2km NNW 347° Loch of Brow* Broch or Nuraghe (HU383156)
 7.1km NNW 345° Lunabister* Broch or Nuraghe (HU37791642)
 7.1km N 9° Troswick* Standing Stone (Menhir) (HU40781662)
 8.5km N 5° Clumlie Broch* Broch or Nuraghe (HU404181)
 8.6km N 10° Knowe of Willol Burnt Mound* Artificial Mound (HU41091812)
 9.2km N 355° Ward Of Scousburgh* Cairn (HU38791880)
 10.2km N 11° Levenwick Broch* Broch or Nuraghe (HU415197)
 11.5km N 8° Knowe Of Willil Burnt Mound* Artificial Mound (HU41122105)
 11.6km NNW 346° St Ninian's Isle* Ancient Village or Settlement (HU36852090)
 14.4km NNE 21° Burraland* Broch or Nuraghe (HU44682319)
 15.2km NNE 24° Mousa Broch* Broch or Nuraghe (HU457236)
 15.4km NNE 24° Mousa Burnt Mounds* Artificial Mound (HU45942370)
 18.5km NNE 12° Broch of Mail* Broch or Nuraghe (HU43252779)
 19.9km N 10° Everglades North Broch or Nuraghe (HU43002930)
 20.2km NNE 13° Clodie Knowe* Broch or Nuraghe (HU441294)
 22.1km N 353° Papil Pictish Stone Cross Slab* Class III Pictish Cross Slab (HU368315)
 23.1km N 354° West Burra, Mid Field Standing Stone (Menhir) (HU3700932591)
 23.1km N 354° West Burra, Mid Field* Standing Stone (Menhir) (HU37003259)
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Towers in the North: The Brochs of Scotland

Towers in the North: The Brochs of Scotland

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"Jarlshof" | Login/Create an Account | 9 News and Comments
  
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Re: Jarlshof by chrispy on Monday, 21 August 2017
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condition 5 access 4 (possibly 5 but I can't remember how wheelchair friendly the site is) This is a fascinating site with lots to see and well worth the visit.
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Jarlshof by chrispy on Sunday, 03 September 2017
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    Sorry didn't notice the post lower down. I've only given the condition 5 'cos I thought it a great site when I went to see it but I am prepared to lower it to a 4 - or visit it and make your own mind up.

    8 fig ref no HU 3982 0955 canmore 513 - canmore also lists this as a broch and iron age wheelhouse as well as a settlement
    [ Reply to This ]

Jarlshof Reconstruction Video by cosmic on Monday, 17 March 2014
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An excellent aerial video of the site

http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue36/1/4.html
Part of Jarlshof Lost and Found: Low altitude aerial photography and computer-generated visualisation for the interpretation of the complex settlement remains found at Jarlshof, Shetland, an open access paper by Kieran Baxter in the latest issue of Internet Archaeology

This article discusses the approach and methods adopted during a computer-generated visualisation project, which resulted in the animated outcome 'Jarlshof'. The challenge of visualising the relationships between a sequence of lost structures and the remains as they exist today was tackled by setting reconstructed elements within a computer-generated reproduction of the current day environment. The resulting imagery closely resembled the low altitude aerial photographs that the outcome was based upon. http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue36/1/toc.html
[ Reply to This ]

Could this be the oldest pub in Scotland? A historic site's true purpose? by bat400 on Sunday, 13 November 2011
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Experts believe that 4600 years ago, thirsty natives may have been enjoying a pie and pint at Jarlshof in Shetland.

They say the layout of the stone settlement near Sumburgh Head suggests it may be the oldest pub ever found in Britain.

And a dozen or so quernstones - for grinding barley - indicate it may have served as both a drinking den and a bakery.

Jarlshof, described as "one of the most remarkable archaeological sites ever excavated in the British Isles" was first revealed after a storm in 1890. It contains remains dating from 2500 BC up to the 17th century.

Experts including Shetland regional archaeologist Val Turner are in no doubt that - pub or not - there was beer being brewed at Jarlshof in the Iron Age.

Dr Noel Fojut, author of Prehistoric And Viking Shetland, said: "We know communal feasting, and probably drinking, was a feature of Iron Age life. Providing lavish hospitality seems to have been an important means of establishing social status.


"It's difficult, however, to distinguish an inn or pub - where people paid - from a communal dining/drinking house.

"It's an attractive idea that there may have a welcoming 'howff' at Shetland's southern landfall and perfectly possible.

"But it's much more likely any hospitality would have been offered by a local family, rather than by a commercial landlord as we'd imagine one today."

The building has a house next door which has a large souterrain - which was the equivalent of a Iron Age refrigerator used for storing smoked or salted meats.

And during the early Iron Age, the site at Jarlshof was surrounded by crops of barley and emmer, a kind of wheat.
For more, see the Daily Record.
Thanks to coldrum for the link.
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Could this be the oldest pub in Scotland? A historic site's true purpose? by Runemage on Sunday, 13 November 2011
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    Is there a fulacht fiadh there as well? If so... http://www.mooregroup.ie/beer/fulacht.html

    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Could this be the oldest pub in Scotland? A historic site's true purpose? by Anonymous on Tuesday, 18 March 2014
    "We know communal feasting, and probably drinking, was a feature of Iron Age life ... "

    How do we know?

    What is the evidence?
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Jarlshof by jeffrep on Wednesday, 28 July 2010
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Condition: 4
Ambience: 5
Access: 4
Accuracy: 4
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Jarlshof by coldrum on Tuesday, 06 April 2010
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Street View


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Re: Jarlshof by coldrum on Wednesday, 20 February 2008
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Historic Scotland Link:

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/properties_sites_detail.htm?propertyID=PL_162
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