Mine Howe facts for kids
Mine Howe is a mysterious underground room built by people long ago. It's found deep inside a big hill in Orkney, Scotland. This amazing place was dug about 6 meters (20 feet) down. Experts think it was built around 2000 years ago during the Iron Age. The word "howe" comes from an old language called Old Norse. It means a burial mound or a hill. Mine Howe is a bit like a well found inside another Iron Age building called the Broch of Gurness.
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What is Mine Howe?
Mine Howe is a special chamber made by humans. It is located in the Tankerness area of Orkney. This is about 8 kilometers (5 miles) southeast of Kirkwall, the capital of Orkney.
Inside the Chamber
The walls of Mine Howe are lined with carefully placed stones. These stones form an arch over the main space. A long set of 29 steps leads down to a rock floor. The entrance to this underground room is at the top of a small hill.
The main chamber is quite small, about 1.3 meters (4 feet) across. But it is very tall, over 4 meters (13 feet) high! It has a special roof called a corbelled roof. This means the stones stick out further with each layer, getting closer until they meet at the top. The last step into this room is about 0.9 meters (3 feet) high. This makes the chamber look a bit like a deep water tank.
Other Areas of Mine Howe
As you go down the steps, there's a half-landing. From here, two more smaller rooms or passages open up. One is above the other. Most of Mine Howe is built with beautiful dry-stone walls. This means the stones are fitted together without any mortar or cement.
Experts have also found signs of other activities around the site. These activities date back to the Iron Age and even earlier times.
How Mine Howe Was Found
Mine Howe was first explored a long time ago, in 1946. At that time, people thought it was an Iron Age broch. A broch is a type of ancient stone tower. After these first digs, Mine Howe was covered up. It was almost forgotten for nearly 50 years.
Rediscovery by a Farmer
In 1999, a farmer named Douglas Paterson rediscovered the site. He owned the land where Mine Howe was hidden. He worked to clear out the dirt and other materials that had filled the chamber over the years. Douglas then built a small wooden entrance over the opening. He also added new stairs to make it easier for visitors to go inside.
Time Team Investigation
In June 2000, a famous TV show called Time Team came to Mine Howe. They are a group of archaeologists who dig up historical sites. The Time Team helped with more excavations. They wanted to learn how Mine Howe was built. To understand this better, they even built a small copy of part of Mine Howe nearby.
They also dug up parts of a ditch that went around the hill. They found what looked like an old path. This path might have been used by people visiting the site long ago. Even with all this work, experts are still not completely sure about the exact age or the main purpose of Mine Howe. It remains a fascinating mystery!
