Neolithic Wooden Platform Found Under Scottish Crannog
Researchers said the 23-metre island began as a wooden platform, and later layers added stone, brushwood and pottery over centuries.
- University of Southampton archaeologist Dr. Stephanie Blankshein revealed a massive timber structure beneath the crannog at Loch Bhorgastail on the Isle of Lewis. "When we actually started excavating is when we realised that it was actually this coherent, quite large timber structure," Blankshein said.
- The site was established more than 5,000 years ago as a circular wooden platform, around 23 metres across and topped with brushwood, according to researchers' analysis.
- To overcome shallow water challenges, researchers developed photogrammetry using two waterproof cameras mounted on a frame, with a diver 'stitching' together images to create high-resolution 3D models.
- Radiocarbon dating aligns construction to about 3500 to 3300 BC, suggesting similar activity occurred across multiple sites throughout the Outer Hebrides. Excavations recovered hundreds of pieces of Neolithic pottery.
- Around 2,000 years later in the Middle Bronze Age, inhabitants added brushwood and stone, with further activity occurring around 1,000 years after that during the Iron Age.
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Ancient island in Scottish loch found to rest on hidden timber base
New work at Loch Bhorgastail in Scotland has changed what archaeologists thought they knew about a small artificial island. The site lies just off Isle of Lewis and is one of many crannogs scattered across Scotland. At first glance, it appears to be little more than a low mound of stone. Excavations, however, has revealed a far more complex structure beneath the surface. Teams from the University of Southampton, working with the University of Re…
5,500-Year-Old Artificial Island in Scotland Found to Have a Wooden Base
Aerial view of the islets in Loch Bhorgastail. Credit: Duncan Garrow / CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Archaeologists have found that an ancient artificial island in Scotland’s Loch Bhorgastail, long thought to be made of stone, was built on a large timber platform more than 5,000 years ago. The site is on the Isle of Lewis. Researchers from the University of Southampton began excavating in 2021 and uncovered a timber structure forming the full base of what app…
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