Orkney stone age temple complex

[bunn]

Via endlessrarities  - if you didn't see the History of Ancient Britain special report on the excavations on Orkney, and if you have a passing interest in awesome stuff like painted Neolithic walls and huge buildings with a fireplace mysteriously positioned in the middle of a doorway, and a monstrous era-ending 600-cow feast* for thousands of people, you should watch it!  

And do so swiftly, for it will fall off the BBC Iplayer in 6 days. 

It does also have a certain amount of Neil Oliver posing dramatically on random headlands with his hair whipping about in the breeze, but by NO standards the amount of posing per nugget of fascinating info dispensed is quite low. 

* we really should work out a way to get Neolithic people to plan the upcoming Olympic opening ceremony.  On this evidence, it would be epic.  

Comments

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Seems quite possible. Especially if you see it as some kind of transitional rites-of-passage type ritual, perhaps for the next generation. They are taken into a dark, scary environment filled with animal spirits, guided by an elder who has wisdom, knowledge, & experience.

In fact, perhaps there's rites of passage stuff going on in Orkney. Boys and girls are removed into the temple complex to 'die', then they re-emerge as men and women.

Ah, the possibilities are endless...