Atlantic roundhouse facts for kids
An Atlantic roundhouse is a special type of stone building from the Iron Age. These ancient homes are found mostly in the northern and western parts of Scotland. You can also find them in places like the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.
For a very long time, circular houses were common in Britain. This was true even back in the Early Bronze Age. Many of these early roundhouses were made from wattle and daub. This means they had walls woven from branches and mud. Their roofs were often thatched and shaped like a cone.
In the 1970s, an archaeologist named Chris Musson thought there were about 200 roundhouses in Scotland and Britain. Today, experts believe there are over 4,000! The oldest known roundhouse was found in South-West Scotland. It dates back to about 3,000 BC. People in the Bronze Age often built their homes on flat areas of hillsides.
What Are Atlantic Roundhouses?
Atlantic roundhouses are unique stone dwellings from the Iron Age. They are found only in this part of the world. Archaeologists divide them into two main types: simple and complex.
These stone buildings were a big change from older homes. For example, earlier homes like those at Skara Brae were less noticeable. Roundhouses, however, became more important features in the landscape.
Simple and Complex Designs
A simple Atlantic roundhouse can be seen at Bu in Orkney. These were generally less elaborate.
Complex structures are more detailed. They include famous buildings like brochs, duns, and wheelhouses.
Even though these buildings were made of stone, they likely had wooden roofs. These roofs were shaped like cones. They were similar to the roofs on timber roundhouses found in other places.
You can find examples of these amazing structures in many places. Some well-known sites include Dun Ringill on Skye. Others are Dun Carloway on Lewis, Pierowall on Westray, and Jarlshof in Shetland.
Rebuilding the Past
People today are working to bring these ancient homes back to life. The Dunvegan Community Trust has a plan. They want to build an Iron Age roundhouse at Orbost on Skye. They are getting help from the National Lottery to do this.
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland also did a special project. They looked closely at Atlantic roundhouses on the Tarbat Peninsula. This area is in Easter Ross. They used kites to take pictures from above. They also did surveys and excavations. Their work helps us imagine what these roundhouses looked like. They showed round enclosures with early Iron Age turf and timber roundhouses.
See also
In Scotland
Elsewhere
