The Knowe of Rowiegar, Rousay, Orkney

The Neolithic chambered cairn at Knowe of Rowiegar, Rousay, Orkney, was excavated in 1937 as part of a campaign that also saw excavations at sites such as Midhowe and the Knowe of Lairo. Not fully published at the time, and with only partial studies since, the human bone assemblage has now been largely re-united and investigated. This included an osteological study and AMS dating of selected bones from this site and other Rousay cairns in the care of University of Aberdeen Museums, as well as the use of archival sources to attempt a reconstruction of the site. It is suggested that the human remains were finally deposited as disarticulated bones and that the site was severely damaged at the time the adjacent Iron Age souterrain was constructed. The estimation of the minimum number of individuals represented in the assemblage showed a significant preponderance of crania and mandibles, suggesting the presence of at least 28 heads, along with much smaller numbers of other bones, while age and sex determinations showed a preponderance of adult males. Seven skulls showed evidence of violent trauma, while evidence from both bones and teeth indicates that there were high levels of childhood dietary deficiency. Although detailed analysis of the dates was hampered by the ‘Neolithic plateau’, a Bayesian analysis of the radiocarbon determinations suggests the use of the site during the period 3400 to 2900 cal bc. This is shown to be similar to that of other dated Orcadian Neolithic cairns and may represent different responses to two periods of severe climate deterioration

Archaeology · Assemblage (archaeology · Biology · Crania · Geography · Human bone · Osteology · Paleopathology · Radiocarbon dating · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Paleopathology and ancient diseases

• All Mixed Up

  Open Access•Tierney Tudor, Rebecca Crozier et al.•Journal of Archaeological Method…•2024

  Incluir item

• Sharp shift in diet at onset of Neolithic

  Open Access•Michael P Richards, Michael Richards et al.•Nature•2003

  Incluir item

• Processing the dead in neolithic orkney

  Open Access•STUART REILLY•Oxford Journal of Archaeology•2003

  Incluir item

• Moments of crisis

  Richard Tipping, Richard Bradley et al.•Proceedings of the Society of…•2013

  Incluir item

• A Long Stalled Chambered Cairn or Mausoleum (Rousay Type) near Midhowe, Rousay, Orkney

  J Graham Callander, Walter G Grant et al.•Proceedings of the Society of…•1934

  Incluir item

• A stalled chambered cairn, the Knowe of Ramsay, at Hullion, Rousay, Orkney

  J Graham Callander, Walter G Grant•Proceedings of the Society of…•1936

  Incluir item

• The Knowe of Lairo, Rousay, Orkney

  Walter G Grant, D J Wilson et al.•Proceedings of the Society of…•1943

  Incluir item

• Long stalled cairn at Blackhammer, Rousay, Orkney

  J Graham Callander, Walter G Grant•Proceedings of the Society of…•1937

  Incluir item

• A Long, Stalled Cairn, the Knowe of Yarso, in Rousay, Orkney

  J Graham Callander, Walter G Grant•Proceedings of the Society of…•1935

  Incluir item

• Bayesian Analysis of Radiocarbon Dates

  Open Access•Christopher B Ramsey•Radiocarbon•2009

  Incluir item

• Procedures for Comparing and Combining Radiocarbon Age Determinations

  Open Access•G K Ward, Graeme Ward et al.•Archaeometry•1978

  Incluir item

• Estimation of stature from long bones of American Whites and Negroes

  Open Access•Mildred Trotter, Goldine C Gleser•American Journal of Physical…•1952

  Incluir item

• The wet, the wild and the domesticated

  Open Access•R J Schulting, Michael Richards•European Journal of Archaeology•2002

  Incluir item

• The Wet, the Wild and the Domesticated

  R J Schulting, Michael Richards et al.•European Journal of Archaeology•2002

  Incluir item

• Bradshaw and Bayes

  Open Access•Alex Bayli, Christopher B Ramsey et al.•Cambridge Archaeological Journal•2007

  Incluir item

• Ancestors and identity in the later prehistory of Atlantic Scotland

  Richard Hingley•World Archaeology•1996

  Incluir item