Study sheds light on prehistoric Orkney

New insights into the rivalry of communities living in Orkney more than 4,500 years ago have been revealed in a new study.

The research, led by Professor Alex Bayliss of Historic England, challenges the previously understood narrative for prehistoric life on the islands.

By examining more than 600 radiocarbon dates, scientists were able to gather much more precise estimates of the timing and duration of events in the period around 3200- 2500 BC. The study, part of the wider project The Times of Their Lives, suggests there was a period which saw rivalries and tensions between households.

This was played out in how they buried their dead and in their communal gatherings and rituals.

Prof Bayliss said: “People in the Neolithic made choices, just like us, about all sorts of things – where to live, how to bury their dead, how to farm, where and when to gather together – and those choices are just beginning to come into view through archaeology. It’s an exciting time to be an archaeological scientist.”

Neolithic Orkney is wellpreserved, with stone houses, stone circles and elaborate burial monuments. The islands are home to renowned sites such as the Skara Brae settlement, Maeshowe passage grave, the Ring of Brodgar and Stones of Stenness circles, which were granted Unesco World Heritage status in 1999. The findings suggest the islands were probably first colonised about 5,600 years ago.