The entrance to Banks Tomb or the Tomb of the Otters on South Ronaldsay, Orkney.
The tomb at Banks on South Ronaldsay was discovered on 16 September 2010 by the landowner, Hamish Mowatt, as he started to level a mound of earth. The tomb had remained undisturbed for c5,000 years and consists of a central passage with five burial cells off of it and an entrance on the northern side. Excavations have been carried out in 2010 and 2011 establishing that it is a Neolithic chambered tomb and contains a number of human remains. Excavations also found a large amount of otter spraint (dung) inside the tomb, suggesting that it had been left open for extended periods allowing the otters to make use of it - this has lead to its alternative name of The Tomb of the Otters. The tomb is open to the public and, because of its relatively undisturbed state, gives an opportunity to experience the reality of a Neolithic burial site.
Size: 4287px × 2848px
Location: South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Photo credit: © SJ Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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