Mine Howe
Encyclopedia
Mine Howe is a prehistoric subterranean man-made chamber dug 20 feet deep inside a large mound. It is located in the Tankerness
area of Orkney, about 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Kirkwall
, the capital of Orkney. The origin of the howe (from Old Norse
word haugr meaning barrow) is not perfectly understood. Experts believe that it was built roughly 2000 years ago during the Iron Age
. Some researchers think that it could be as old as 5000 years, which would place it in the Neolithic
period. There is some similarity to the well inside the Iron Age Broch of Gurness
.
This chamber is only about 1.3 metres in diameter but is over four metres high with a corbelled roof. The bottom step into this chamber is 0.9 metres high and gives it a cistern-like appearance. At the half-landing two subsidiary chambers/passages open out, one above the other. Most of the structure is lined with beautifully built dry-stone walling.
. After the excavations during the 1940s were finished, Mine Howe was covered over and left untouched and nearly forgotten for nearly 50 years. Douglas Paterson, a farmer who owned the land at the time, rediscovered the site in 1999. He removed material that had filled in during the intervening years and built a small wooden entrance over the opening. He built stairs leading down into the chamber and allowed visitors inside.
In June 2000, the television program Time Team
came to Mine Howe to further excavate and explore the structure. In order to work out how it had been built, the group built a small replica nearby. They also excavated sections of a ditch surrounding the mound along with what was apparently an earthen path allowing visitors access to the site. No firm conclusions have been made about the age or the purpose of Mine Howe.
Tankerness
Tankerness is a district in the St Andrews parish in Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. Essentially a peninsula, it is about south-east of Kirkwall and east of Kirkwall Airport. The origin of the place name is uncertain, but it may derive from the Norse personal name "Tannskári"...
area of Orkney, about 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Kirkwall
Kirkwall
Kirkwall is the biggest town and capital of Orkney, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. The town is first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046 when it is recorded as the residence of Rögnvald Brusason the Earl of Orkney, who was killed by his uncle Thorfinn the Mighty...
, the capital of Orkney. The origin of the howe (from Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
word haugr meaning barrow) is not perfectly understood. Experts believe that it was built roughly 2000 years ago during the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
. Some researchers think that it could be as old as 5000 years, which would place it in the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
period. There is some similarity to the well inside the Iron Age Broch of Gurness
Broch of Gurness
The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village on the northwest coast of Mainland Orkney in Scotland overlooking Eynhallow Sound. The remains of the central tower are up to high, and the stone walls are up to thick...
.
Description
Its walls are lined with stones fitted to form an arch over the cavity and 29 steps lead to a rock floor. The entrance is at the top of the small hill and there are indications of other Iron Age and earlier activity around the site. A flight of stone steps descend to a half-landing where they turn back on themselves and a further steps descend to a chamber. This chamber is only about 1.3 metres in diameter but is over four metres high with a corbelled roof. The bottom step into this chamber is 0.9 metres high and gives it a cistern-like appearance. At the half-landing two subsidiary chambers/passages open out, one above the other.This chamber is only about 1.3 metres in diameter but is over four metres high with a corbelled roof. The bottom step into this chamber is 0.9 metres high and gives it a cistern-like appearance. At the half-landing two subsidiary chambers/passages open out, one above the other. Most of the structure is lined with beautifully built dry-stone walling.
Discovery
It was first explored in 1946 and misidentified as an Iron Age brochBroch
A broch is an Iron Age drystone hollow-walled structure of a type found only in Scotland. Brochs include some of the most sophisticated examples of drystone architecture ever created, and belong to the classification "complex Atlantic Roundhouse" devised by Scottish archaeologists in the 1980s....
. After the excavations during the 1940s were finished, Mine Howe was covered over and left untouched and nearly forgotten for nearly 50 years. Douglas Paterson, a farmer who owned the land at the time, rediscovered the site in 1999. He removed material that had filled in during the intervening years and built a small wooden entrance over the opening. He built stairs leading down into the chamber and allowed visitors inside.
In June 2000, the television program Time Team
Time Team
Time Team is a British television series which has been aired on Channel 4 since 1994. Created by television producer Tim Taylor and presented by actor Tony Robinson, each episode features a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days, with Robinson explaining...
came to Mine Howe to further excavate and explore the structure. In order to work out how it had been built, the group built a small replica nearby. They also excavated sections of a ditch surrounding the mound along with what was apparently an earthen path allowing visitors access to the site. No firm conclusions have been made about the age or the purpose of Mine Howe.