Orkney bowl an ‘ancient treasure’
BY SARAH WARD A WOODEN bowl unearthed in Orkney may have been a treasure in ancient times.
Archaeologists excavated the 2000-year-old artefact at Cairns Broch on South Ronaldsay in the summer.
After carefully cleaning the mud-covered bowl, they have now found that it was repaired with bronze staples and wooden rivets.
Dr Martin Carruthers, site director, said: “The way the bowl was treated makes us think it was a special and rare object back in the Iron Age.
“They went to great lengths to repair the bowl and extend the lifespan.”
The bowl was discovered in an underground chamber, which experts now believe may have served a ceremonial purpose.