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<< Our Photo Pages >> Samson, South Hill - Chambered Cairn in England in Isles of Scilly

Submitted by Thorgrim on Monday, 06 July 2009  Page Views: 17414

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Samson, South Hill
Country: England County: Isles of Scilly Type: Chambered Cairn
Nearest Town: Samson Island
Map Ref: SV878124
Latitude: 49.930049N  Longitude: 6.351873W
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
5 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
5 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.
3 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
3

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Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Thorgrim : The now uninhabited island of Samson contains dozens of entrance graves and cairns. This entrance grave is the finest and it overlooks the flats where stone walls are uncovered at low tide. The Scilly Islands were just one island in Roman times (with the exception of Agnes and Annet. The drowned land has often been seen as the Lost Land of Lyonesse. (Vote or comment on this photo)
There are four entrance graves on this hill. The most unusual is really two in one. Two chambers share a single irregular shaped kerbed cairn. Watch out for the birds the noise alone is enough to put you off exploring the other prehistoric features on this hill.

Over eighty entrance graves have been recorded on the isles of Scilly . They vary a great deal in state of preservation. Most date to the late Neolithic period (+2500 BC) and continued in construction and use until as late as 700 BC. They are constructed of stone and earth and are circular in shape. Usually surrounded by a stone kerb, with a rectangular stone chamber constructed of stone and course walling and covered by large capstones. The entrances themselves vary in the direction they face, although the majority face Easterly to catch the rays of the rising sun. They vary a great deal in size perhaps reflecting the social standing of those buried there, and/or the different functions of the monuments themselves . From the human remains found in many of the chambers burial was a primary function for these sites. Cremation was the usual form with the bones deposited loose or in urns, occasionally accompanied by grave goods. In three chambers burials span a period of nearly 700 years. It is also likely that they were used as territorial markers, and places of ritual offering to ensure the fertility of the land, possibly linked to early field boundaries associated with many of the sites. There are four entrance graves on the rocky summit of South Hill with a dozen or more on the North Hill. The two hills of Samson are very similar to the Paps of Jura in Scotland and the Paps of Anu in Ireland.

Close by this chamber are the ruined cottages of the last people to live on Samson. The island was abandoned in the 19th century when almost all of the men were drowned while attempting to rescue people from a shipwreck. In the background, can be seen field walls on the sands which are only uncovered at low tide. There are many field walls and hut circles to be seen at the lowest tide when it is possible to walk from Samson to Bryher and from Bryher to Tresco. (See entry for Lyonesse) Samson is uninhabited, but access is available by boats from the main islands. Thorgrim

Note: Details of last week's open day for archaeological study, Samson, Isles of Scilly, see comment
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Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Thorgrim : More than five hundred Neolithic and Bronze Age sites above the present high water line have been excavated in the Isles of Scilly. With another thirty or so only accessible at the lowest tides, excavations of these have only been possible for short periods at low water. Normally submerged sites that have been excavated include: ten hut circles, seven cists and graves, four field wall enclosures a... (Vote or comment on this photo)

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Thorgrim : Sunset over Samson. The sacred hills of Samson are crowded with entrance graves and cairns. In the Bronze Age, all was dry land and many houses and field walls are now beneath the sea shown in this picture. Then, the sun would have set between these two hills rising from a fertile plain. (4 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Thorgrim : Dramatic view of capstones and a glimpse of the interior of this entrance grave. Interior walls are revetted kerb stones two courses high. A very high status grave. (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by PAB : South Hill, Samson. Photo taken June 2009 (Vote or comment on this photo)

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by PAB : South Hill, Samson June 2009

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by PAB : South Hill, Samson. The interior of one of the chambered cairns on South Hill, Photo, June 2009

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Andy_Creigh : Image © Andy Creigh

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Thorgrim : Stripped of capstones and cairn, the inner chamber of this entrance grave is revealed. (2 comments)

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Thorgrim : Chanbered cairn built against a rock outcrop. It has a single large capstone with a prehistoric wall to its side. (1 comment)

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Thorgrim : At low tide, rectangular and square field walls are revealed. A closer look reveals hut circles, graves and cists. This central area of Scilly betwen the islands of St Mary's, Tresco, Bryher and St Martin's was the central fertile plain surrounded by hills and crags that are now islands and rocks. Scilly was still largely one island in Roman times, but was much larger in the Bronze Age. Could ...

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Bladup : The North Western Chambered Cairn with North Hill in the background on the Right

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Bladup : The South Eastern Chambered Cairn

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Bladup : The Middle Chambered Cairn (even though it's actually attached to the South Eastern Chambered Cairn)

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Bladup : Inside the South Eastern Chambered Cairn

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Bladup : The North Western Chambered Cairn

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Bladup : Outcrops to the South East of the South Eastern Chambered Cairn

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Bladup : Showing some Kerb at the Middle Chambered Cairn (even though it's actually attached to the South Eastern Chambered Cairn)

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Bladup : The Capstones of the South Eastern Chambered Cairn

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Bladup : The remains of the cairn marked on the map at SV87761247

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Bladup : The North Western Chambered Cairn on South Hill, Samson

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Bladup : Looking over the Three Chambered Cairns on South Hill (or 2 if you count the 2 attached ones as 1 chambered cairn), With North Hill in the background

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Bladup : Looking over the North Western Chambered Cairn towards North Hill

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Bladup : This is marked Cairn on the map at SV87701250

Samson, South Hill
Samson, South Hill submitted by Bladup : The large capstone of the Middle Chambered Cairn (Although it's attached and part of the South Eastern Chambered Cairn)

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 538m NNE 18° Samson Flats Intertidal Remains* Ancient Village or Settlement (SV880129)
 655m N 349° Samson, North Hill* Burial Chamber or Dolmen (SV87711305)
 844m N 351° Ballard Point Entrance Grave* Chambered Cairn (SV87711324)
 1.7km N 357° Works Carn, Bryher* Chambered Cairn (SV87821413)
 1.8km NE 44° Appletree Bay prehistoric field system* Ancient Village or Settlement (SV89101358)
 1.8km N 357° Samson Hill, Bryher* Chambered Tomb (SV878142)
 1.8km N 1° Bonfire Carn, Bryher* Chambered Cairn (SV87931424)
 1.9km N 357° Top Rock Entrance Grave and Cairn* Chambered Cairn (SV8779914266)
 2.0km NE 51° Bathinghouse Porth prehistoric field system and hut circle settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SV8942013561)
 2.0km NNW 344° Heathy Hill Settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SV87361437)
 2.1km N 357° Hillside Farm, Bryher* Chambered Tomb (SV878145)
 2.3km N 0° Green Bay Prehistoric field system and Cist* Ancient Village or Settlement (SV87951465)
 2.3km NE 34° Roman Altar at Tresco Gardens* Sculptured Stone (SV892142)
 2.3km NNE 30° Abbey Hill Cairns* Barrow Cemetery (SV89051431)
 2.6km NNW 342° Gweal Hill, Bryher* Chambered Tomb (SV87151492)
 2.8km E 98° Carn Morval Down (3) Misc. Earthwork (SV90581182)
 3.0km E 95° Carn Morval Down (1)* Chambered Tomb (SV90761199)
 3.0km N 353° Shipman Head Chambered Cairn* Chambered Cairn (SV87621540)
 3.0km E 88° Halangy Porth Cist* Cist (SV90851235)
 3.0km SE 128° Porthcressa Barrow Cemetery (SV901104)
 3.1km E 95° Carn Morval Down (2)* Cairn (SV90841196)
 3.1km NNE 21° Vane Hill Cairns* Barrow Cemetery (SV89091519)
 3.1km E 87° Halangy Lower* Chambered Cairn (SV90951240)
 3.2km E 87° Halangy Down* Ancient Village or Settlement (SV90981237)
 3.2km NE 35° Borough Cairn* Cairn (SV89761491)
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"Samson, South Hill" | Login/Create an Account | 2 News and Comments
  
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Re: Samson, South Hill by PAB on Tuesday, 28 April 2020
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A detailed description of the wide ranging sites of interest on and around Samson can be read in the Scheduling documentation provided by Historic England

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Open day for archaeological study, Samson, Isles of Scilly by Andy B on Monday, 06 July 2009
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Thanks to PAB for this:

As described by Thorgrim in his postings of the inter-tidal sites off the uninhabited island of Samson, Isles of Scilly, there are several walls and other features hidden under the shallow waters between the current islands.

The combination of long hours of daylight and very low tides made last week's solstice a great time to see these features. An added bonus was the fact that the archaeologists were on hand to show people what had been located.

It was not the easiest place to have an open day - but there were a few adventurous souls willing to clamber from boat to zodiac to beach & back. Two groups of local school children were also ferried across for a special preview - what a delightful 'classroom' to have on your doorstep!

A description of the work - Samson Flats Intertidal Field Survey - can be found on the website of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Maritime Archaeology Society, CISMAS

http://www.cismas.org.uk/samson-flats-survey.php
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