Interior view of central chamber of Maes Howe Neolithic chambered cairn, Orkney, Scotland, UK, showing inner entrance passage & south corner buttress.
Interior view of central chamber of Maes Howe Neolithic chambered cairn, Orkney, Scotland, UK, showing entrance passage & S corner buttress. The kinked passage, leading into the main chamber from the SW, is aligned so that at midwinter a shaft of light from the setting sun illuminates the chamber. There is a square buttress & upright flagstone at each corner of the chamber & a rectangular side chamber in the N, E & S walls. The monument was used for human burials some 5,000 years ago. In the C12thAD several parties of Vikings broke in through the roof of the tomb leaving around 24 runic inscriptions & three engravings on the stones. Several of the inscriptions refer to a great treasure: it is possible that the tomb was reused for the burial of a Norse chief.
Size: 3867px × 4961px
Location: Maes Howe Chambered Cairn, Tormiston, Mainland, Orkney, Scotland, UK
Photo credit: © Mick Sharp / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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