<< Our Photo Pages >> Grain Earth House - Souterrain (Fogou, Earth House) in Scotland in Orkney
Submitted by Izozo on Sunday, 23 June 2024 Page Views: 12794
Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Grain Earth House Alternative Name: GrainbankCountry: Scotland County: Orkney Type: Souterrain (Fogou, Earth House)
Nearest Town: Kirkwall Nearest Village: Kirkwall
Map Ref: HY442117 Landranger Map Number: 6
Latitude: 58.988772N Longitude: 2.972653W
Condition:
| 5 | Perfect |
| 4 | Almost Perfect |
| 3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
| 2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
| 1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
| 0 | No data. |
| -1 | Completely destroyed |
| 5 | Superb |
| 4 | Good |
| 3 | Ordinary |
| 2 | Not Good |
| 1 | Awful |
| 0 | No data. |
| 5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
| 4 | Short walk on a footpath |
| 3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
| 2 | A long walk |
| 1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
| 0 | No data. |
| 5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
| 4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
| 3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
| 2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
| 1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
| 0 | no data |
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External Links:
I have visited· I would like to visit
SandyG visited on 8th Jun 2015 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 2
Jansold saw from a distance on 7th Jun 2013 - their rating: Amb: 2 Access: 4
rrmoser TimPrevett HaggisAction coin Redfun have visited here
Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Ambience: 2
Iron Age earth house or souterrain, discovered accidentally by a plough in 1827. The mysterious stone structure were expertly built and are still standing over 2,000 years later. The pillars support the weight of the roof. This subterranean passage was built and used by local farmers some time between 2,888 and 1,500 years ago. It formed part of a thriving farming settlement, although it is unsure how it was used by the Iron Age community.
The use of souterrains appears to have varied between regions and over time. They provided a cool, dark environment, which could have been used for the storage of food. However, they were vulnerable to damp and vermin, and difficult to access.
Life in the Iron Age was steeped in symbolism, and souterraina may well have had a ritual function. The niches set into the walls here could have been used for storage, for lighting or for some entirely different purpose. The long, cramped passage was originally much lower, but has been excavated to allow access into the chamber.
The passage is quite restricted and MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ANYONE UNCOMFORTABLE IN CONFINED SPACES.
The entrance key can be collected from: The Judith Glue shop, 25 Broad Street, Kirkwall. Available year-round during opening hours.
Page originally by howar
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Wir möchten mehr über diese Stätte erfahren. Bitte zögern Sie nicht, eine kurze Beschreibung und relevante Informationen in Deutsch hinzuzufügen.
Nous aimerions en savoir encore un peu sur les lieux. S'il vous plaît n'hesitez pas à ajouter une courte description et tous les renseignements pertinents dans votre propre langue.
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