Liddle Burnt Mound facts for kids
The Liddle Burnt Mound is an amazing ancient site from the Bronze Age (a time long ago when people used bronze tools). You can find it on the island of South Ronaldsay in Orkney, Scotland. This special place has the remains of a building and a large mound of earth and stones surrounding it. While experts aren't 100% sure what it was used for, most think it was a kind of outdoor kitchen or cooking area.
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What is Liddle Burnt Mound?
The Liddle Burnt Mound is located on Liddle Farm. A farmer named Ronald Simison discovered it by accident in 1972. He was taking stones from the mound for roads when he found old stone structures. He told archaeologist Colin Renfrew, who was working nearby.
Discovering the Ancient Building
A member of Renfrew's team, John Hedges, explored the site. He found the remains of a stone building right in the middle of the mound. This building is oval-shaped and has very thick outer walls. Inside, smaller walls create different sections or rooms. One of these sections has a hearth, which is like an old fireplace.
The Mystery Tank
At the center of the building is a large stone tank. It's lined with flat stones and made waterproof with clay. This tank could hold almost 1,000 liters of water! When it was found, it was half-filled with stones that looked shattered and burned from intense heat.
John Hedges first thought the building was a house. However, he noticed that some things didn't quite fit, like there wasn't a clear place to sleep.
The Surrounding Mound
The mound around the building is still about 2 meters (6.5 feet) high in some places. Experts believe it originally contained at least 200 cubic meters (7,000 cubic feet) of material. This mound is mostly made up of shattered stones, charcoal, and ash.
Archaeologists found tools like hammerstones, pot lids, and pieces of pottery in the mound. These items, along with the tank and hearth, suggest the site was used for cooking. They also found burnt bones from goats and sheep, which supports the idea that food was prepared here.
Testing the Theory
To test this idea, an experiment was done in Orkney. A leg of lamb was cooked in a stone tank heated by a peat fire, just like people might have done long ago. This showed that such a setup could indeed be used for cooking.
The Liddle Burnt Mound was used a very long time ago, between 1200 and 500 BC.
Isbister Chambered Cairn
Liddle Farm is also home to another important ancient site called Isbister Chambered Cairn. This place is more famously known as the Tomb of the Eagles.
