Fourteenth Orkney International Science Festival gets underway

Submitted by howar on Thursday, 02 September 2004 Page Views: 2721

**Cuween Hill** submitted by enkidu41 : HY 364127 Also called Fairy Knowe, Cuween is a restored chambered cairn of the Maes Howe sub-group. The cairn is 55' in diameter and 8'6" high. A low, narrow 18' long passage leads to a rectangular chamber (10' high x 5' wide x 7'6" high) off which 4 cells, one with a subsidiary cell, open. (Vote or comment on this photo)

The relationship between traditional worldviews and modern science is one of the themes of this year's Festival, particularly appropriate in an island group with a rich heritage of ancient sites such as the Ring of Brodgar which have been shown to contain sophisticated astronomical alignments.

Research in recent years is throwing up tantalising hints of an older Mesolithic hunter-gatherer culture. For more information on Mesolithic Scotland generally, go to Scotland's First Settlers.

Wideford writes: A couple of talks from the forthcoming Orkney Science Festival caught my eye: On September 5th there is "Brochs Rethought" by historian Brian Smith, who believes these were part of a mostly short but intense programme against an unnamed enemy.

His argument equally holds for their use as lookout posts for fishermen with a vastly improved boat for sea-faring it strikes me. More details on the Rockstanza Brochs of Shetland site here"

Dr. Robert Lomas and Ashley Cowie will be giving talks at the ) on September 8th. The former's lecture "Appointment with Venus" is on how Venus gives insights into lozenge inscriptions at Skara Brae and the alignment of the Maes Howe entrance. Also making great play with the lozenge "From Skara Brae to Eynhallow" is the dowser, (an example of whose work can be found here .

The main author of the Caithness section, David Bews, claims that some stone circles and standing stones in Caithness were erected in historical times as part of a mystical plan !).

On September 11th, as part of the UHI Annual Lecture Day there will be talks on "World Heritage site" and "Archaeological geophysics".

More details at the Orkney International Science Festival web site

Contributor Bio for howar: Based in Orkney, contributing since 2008. Favourite site: Taversoe Tuick. Occupation: retired.

<< Manchester's Mellor Hillfort opens its doors

Events

Lincolnshire Archaeology Day, 9 October 2004 >>