Maeshowe Chambered Tomb by brewgirlca
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Description
This is Maeshowe, a Neolithic chambered tomb on Mainland, Orkney in Scotland. Radiocarbon dating put is as being built in around 2800 BC. It is one of the largest tombs in Orkney; the mound encasing the tomb is 115 feet (35 m) in diameter and rises to a height of 24 feet (7 m). You can see the rim of a ditch about 45 feet wide which surrounds the mound. It has been suggested that there was also a stone circle surrounding the tomb but this has not been fully substantiated.
This tomb was connected to the ancient village of Skara Brae and to the Standing Stones of Stennes and the Ring of Brodgar by a low road. They were undoubtedly all part of one huge cultural complex that lasted for about 1000 years.
Maeshowe is one of those tombs where the entrance chamber is aligned so that a particular soft reddish colored rock on the rear wall of its central chamber is illuminated on the winter solstice.
Comments (17)
chaylastorm
Fantastic.. Roxy. Love the history and the long straight path to it. Is this on a Ley Line and was the tomb ever opened?
brewgirlca
The tomb was opened by antiqinarians in the late 1700 to early 1800s. It was found to be largely empty. There was a large amount of Viking graffiti so they are suspects but there was also 2500 years of time between when the tombs were last used by their creators and the arrival of the Vikings, so no one really knows who robbed the graves. It could have been Iron Age farmers.
Faemike55
this is so cool to see and the information is fascinating
shingleboot
Very striking image
rhol_figament
Those clouds really add a great creepy atmosphere, perfect for your subject! The photo gods are kind to you... :)
NightGallery
Very intense image. Well captured
bebopdlx
Beautiful photo work.
eekdog
cool info, Roxy and a nice capture. enjoy the memorial day weekend..
giulband
Formidabel!!!!!! The path through the green fields seems to lead to the distant past! The sky that heralds storm from the image mnolto atmosphere intense, almost threatening as if to prevent the approach of a secret protected!
Tracesl Online Now!
cool
3dpoetry
Wicked photo
RodS
This REALLY draws me into the photo - I just want to climb through my screen and explore this mystical spot! A most excellent capture, Roxy! And oh, that sky...... What a cinematic scene!
netot
Great landscape, excellent capture !
sossy
outstanding presented capture! like a path into another time! gorgeous! ;o)
crender Online Now!
Great!
mtdana
Great composition and HDRI postwork! I really like the mood of this image. It is unfortunate more is not known about these interesting sites.
4udreamcatcher
Wonderful capture!
adorety
Beautiful and dramatic pic. Suitable sky for a tomb. I'm continually fascinated by how old so many human made structures really are. I still imagine there's a lot more beneath the coastal waters around the world now hidden by elevated sea levels from melted glaciers of the last glaciation. So much more to know.