Tomb of the Eagles

Inside the tomb

The Tomb of the Eagles, or Isbister Chambered Cairn, is a Neolithic chambered tomb located on a cliff edge at Isbister on South Ronaldsay in Orkney, Scotland. First explored by Ronald Simison, a farmer, when digging flagstones in 1958, he conducted his own excavations at the site in 1976. Alerted by Simison, archaeologist John Hedges then mounted a full study, prepared a technical report and wrote a popular book^[1] that cemented the tomb's name.^[2]

16,000 human bones were found at the site, as well as 725 from birds. These were identified as predominantly belonging to the white-tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) and represented between 8 and 20 individuals. These were originally interpreted as a foundation deposit; however, this interpretation has been challenged by new dating techniques. These reveal that the eagles died c. 2450–2050 BCE, up to 1,000 years after the building of the tomb. This confirms growing evidence from other sites that the neolithic tombs of Orkney remained in use for many generations.^[2]

References

↑ Hedges, J. 1990. Tomb of the Eagles: Death and Life in a Stone Age Tribe. New Amsterdam Books. ISBN 0-941533-05-0
1 2 Pitts, M. 2006. Flight of the eagles. British Archaeology 86: 6

External links

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Prehistoric Orkney

World Heritage Site	Maeshowe Ness of Brodgar Ring of Brodgar Skara Brae Standing Stones of Stenness

Other Neolithic Sites	Barnhouse Settlement Blackhammer Chambered Cairn Castle Bloody Cuween Hill Dwarfie Stane Holm of Papa Westray Knap of Howar Links of Noltland Midhowe Chambered Cairn Mor Stein Quoyness chambered cairn Rinyo Rousay Tomb of the Eagles Unstan Chambered Cairn Unstan ware Westray Wife

Iron Age Sites	Brough of Birsay Broch of Borwick Broch of Burrian Broch of Gurness Burroughston Broch Midhowe Broch Mine Howe Tankerness

European megaliths

Armenia	Metsamor Zorats Karer

Azerbaijan	Gobustan Rocks

Bulgaria	Beglik Tash Garlo

England	Arbor Low Avebury Barbrook One Birkrigg Boscawen-Un Boskednan Brown Willy Cairns The Bull Ring Burnmoor stone circles Castlerigg Craddock Moor Devil's Arrows Doll Tor Drizzlecombe Duloe Fernacre Gardom's Edge Goodaver Grey Wethers Hoarstones Hordron Edge Hurlers Leper Stone Long Meg and Her Daughters Mên-an-Tol The Merry Maidens Mitchell's Fold Nine Ladies Nine Stones, Altarnun Pipers Rollright Rudston Monolith Scorhill Stannon Stanton Drew Stonehenge Stripple Swinside Trippet

France	Barnenez Tumulus of Bougon Caixa de Rotllan Carnac Menhir de Champ-Dolent Dolmen de Bagneux Broken Menhir of Er Grah Filitosa Gallardet Dolmen Gavrinis Harrespil Kerzerho Locmariaquer megaliths Mane Braz Paddaghju Peyre-Brune Tremeca Verziau of Gargantua

Germany	Altendorf Denghoog Fraubillen cross Harhoog Lancken-Granitz dolmens Lohra Megaliths in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Niedertiefenbach Oldendorfer Totenstatt] Riesenstein Route of Megalithic Culture Sieben Steinhäuser Wotanstein Züschen

Ireland	Ardgroom Beltany stone circle Bohonagh Brownshill Dolmen Brú na Bóinne Carrigagulla Carrowmore Castlestrange stone Creevykeel Court Tomb Drombeg Gaulstown Portal Tomb Glantane East Grange stone circle High cross Knocknakilla Meehambee Dolmen Piper's Stones Poulnabrone dolmen Reask Templebryan Stone Circle Turoe stone Uragh Stone Circle

Jersey	Jersey Dolmens La Hougue Bie

Malta	Megalithic Temples (Borġ l-Imramma Borġ in-Nadur Buġibba Debdieba Ġgantija Ħaġar Qim Ħal-Ġinwi Kordin Mnajdra Qortin l-Imdawwar Santa Verna Skorba Ta' Ħaġrat Ta' Marżiena Ta' Raddiena Tal-Qadi Tarxien Tas-Silġ Xemxija Xrobb l-Għaġin) Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni Xagħra Stone Circle

Netherlands	Hunebed

Northern Ireland	Aughlish Ballynoe Beaghmore Corick Drumskinny Legananny Giant's Ring

Poland	Brąchnówko Grzybnica Odry Węsiory

Portugal	Almendres Cromlech Anta Grande do Zambujeiro Cunha Baixa Dolmen

Russia	Dolmens of North Caucasus Thunder Stone Megaliths in the Urals Russian Geoglyph

Scandinavia	Picture stones Runestones Stone circles Stone ships

Scotland	Balquhain Callanish I II III IV VIII X Carlin Cat Stane Clach an Trushal Colmeallie Drybridge Easter Aquhorthies Lochmaben Stone Pictish Ring of Brodgar Sheldon Stenness Steinacleit Strichen Yonder Bognie

Ukraine	Boundary stones

Wales	Barclodiad y Gawres Bedd Arthur Bedd Taliesin Bodowyr Bryn Cader Faner Bryn Celli Ddu Bryn Gwyn stones Capel Garmon Carreg Coetan Arthur Carreg Samson Coetan Arthur Foel Chwern Llanfechell Lligwy Burial Chamber Maen Llia Maen Madoc Meini Hirion Moel Tŷ Uchaf Parc Cwm long cairn Penrhos Feilw Pentre Ifan St Lythans burial chamber Trefignath Tinkinswood Tŷ Newydd Burial Chamber Whetstones

General articles	Standing stone Dolmen Henge Menhir Stone circle Stone row Concentric stone circle Recumbent stone circle Chambered cairn Harrespil Photographs of stone circles Middle Eastern megaliths

Coordinates: 58°44′24″N 2°55′19″W / 58.740°N 2.922°W / 58.740; -2.922

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Tomb of the Eagles

See also

References

External links