Skara Brae

The ruins of Europe's most complete Neolithic village, Skara Brae, were uncovered from beneath by a mound during a ferocious Orkney storm in 1850. Four ancient houses were excavated in 1868, but the other four houses in the settlement remained covered until 1928. Initially, it was thought to be an Iron Age settlement, but carbon dating showed it was inhabited between 3200 and 2200 BC. The dwellings were protected by the sand of the mound that preserved the buildings and their interior fittings, giving archaeologists an excellent indication of life during Neolithic times. Houses were sunken into the ground to protect against the weather and contained stone furniture and a sophisticated drainage system. Traces of bone show that Skara Brae's inhabitants grew cereal and kept sheep and cattle.