Knowe of Burrian Chambered Cairn — Western Terrace

Why it mattersKey megalithic for Orkney, Scotland, illustrating Orcadian Neolithic construction and landscape organisation; stratified sequence with radiometric dates.

Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.

Built

c. 3000 BCE

Period

Late Neolithic (3200-2500 BCE)

Culture

Orcadian Neolithic

Purpose

Collective burial and territorial marker for agro-pastoral community

Excavation

Excavated

1. c. 3000 BCE

   Initial construction of Knowe of Burrian Chambered Cairn — Western Terrace main structure

2. c. 1390 BCE

   Secondary refurbishment / reuse phase documented stratigraphically at Knowe of Burrian Chambered Cairn — Western Terrace

3. 19th–20th century

   Modern excavation and survey (campaigns at Knowe of Burrian Chambered Cairn — Western Terrace) with geophysical prospection

• Knowe of Burrian Chambered Cairn — Western Terrace — Main Megalithic Feature

  necropolis

  Primary necropolis at Knowe of Burrian Chambered Cairn — Western Terrace — rock-cut facade with stratified deposits

  59.0482° N · 3.1032° W

• Knowe of Burrian Chambered Cairn — Western Terrace — Secondary Enclosure

  temple

  Ancillary temple at Knowe of Burrian Chambered Cairn — Western Terrace — burial gallery with stratified deposits

  59.0483° N · 3.1052° W

• Knowe of Burrian Chambered Cairn — Western Terrace — Outlier Rock Art Panel

  chamber

  Outlier chamber panel linked to Knowe of Burrian Chambered Cairn — Western Terrace ceremonial landscape

  59.0502° N · 3.1040° W