Skara Brae
Historic Environment Scotland, Statement Of Significance, Skara Brae
“The excavated remains of Skara Brae, as currently presented, consist of a tightly clustered grouping of stone-built structures connected by narrow passageways.  The structures, many of which are interpreted as houses, have internal fittings of stone. There were two main phases of building and occupation in the development of the settlement, with a gap relating to the probable abandonment of the settlement due to inundation by sand.
Individual buildings were, at first, freestanding, with open passageways between them. Some of the passageways were subsequently roofed over, creating the passages visible today.
Skara Brae was occupied at various times – not continuously – from the late fourth Millennium to the mid-third millennium BC (with sporadic activity after that). Recent Bayesian modelling of radiocarbon dates has indicated that while occupation on the site started at some time between 3360 and 3160 cal BC (with the inhabitants using pottery that was probably round-based: Phase 0), the earliest houses that survive today (Phase 1) were constructed in the early third millennium BC (from 2920–2885 Cal BC).
After less than a century of occupation – possibly as short a period as 50 years, that means two generations – the settlement seems to have been abandoned (probably as a result of inundation by sand), around 2870–2760 cal BC. It was then reoccupied, with new houses being built and some old houses being remodelled (early House 7, for example), within the time frame of 2840–2685 cal BC and remained in use until 2545–2440 cal BC. After its abandonment, there are hints of ‘squatting’-like activity at various times including the Iron Age (as demonstrated by, amongst other things, a horse tooth bead radiocarbon dated to 170 cal BC–cal AD 10, SUERC-40339, 2060±30 BP).
Activity after the settlement’s abandonment also included the deposition of human remains at various times, with some of the disarticulated bones found during the nineteenth century having recently been radiocarbon dated (for Whittle and Bayliss’ The Times of Their Lives project and for Rick Schulting) to the late third to early second millennium BC – the time when beaker pottery was in use in Orkney."
Whatever happened through the 3rd millennium BC, the data, as expressed here shows a surprisingly clear separation between the occupation of Skara Brae before 3000BC, and the development after, again suggesting that something happened at that date affecting how the inhabitants of Orkney could live.
#neolithic #archaeology #prehistory #skarabrae #Skara #Brae #C14 #Orkney

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Scientists untangle the challenging complexities of radiocarbon in ice cores. This research has implications for interpreting isotopic measurements of carbon containing gases such as CO (carbon monoxide), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) extracted from past air trapped in the firn layer or deeper in ice core bubbles. #C14 #radiocarbondating #carbon #icecores #water https://phys.org/news/2024-10-scientists-untangle-complexities-radiocarbon-ice.html