Torrylin Cairn facts for kids
Torrylin Cairn
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 Location in North Ayrshire
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| Location | Isle of Arran |
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| Coordinates | 55°26′27″N 5°14′02″W / 55.440828°N 5.233936°W |
| Type | Chambered burial tomb |
| History | |
| Periods | Neolithic |
| Site notes | |
| Ownership | Historic Scotland |
| Public access | Yes |
Torrylin Cairn is a very old burial place from the Stone Age. It is found near Kilmory on the Isle of Arran in Scotland. This ancient site helps us learn about people who lived thousands of years ago.
Contents
Torrylin Cairn: An Ancient Burial Site
Torrylin Cairn is located next to Kilmory Water. This is a small stream just south of a tiny village called Lagg.
What is a Cairn?
A cairn is a pile of stones built by people. In this case, Torrylin Cairn was built as a special tomb. It is a type of tomb called a "chambered tomb." This means it has rooms or chambers inside where people were buried.
Over time, some stones from Torrylin Cairn were taken away. This is called "stone robbing." Also, other stones were later dumped there. Because of this, we are not completely sure of its original shape or size.
Exploring the Tomb's Structure
The main burial room, or chamber, is about 6.7 metres (22 feet 0 inches) long. That's like two cars parked end-to-end! It is about 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) wide. Inside, this chamber was divided into four smaller sections. Each of these sections was about 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in) long.
Torrylin Cairn is a type of tomb known as a Clyde cairn. These types of tombs are found across southwest Scotland. A much better preserved example of a Clyde cairn is Carn Ban. It is about three miles (five kilometres) northeast of Torrylin.
Clyde cairns often had a special entrance area. This area was shaped like a crescent moon. It was framed by tall, thin stones. This part is called a "forecourt."
What Was Found Inside?
In the 1800s, people called "antiquarians" explored the cairn. Antiquarians are like early archaeologists. They dug into the tomb to see what was there.
They found the long burial chamber. Only the very last section of the chamber was still untouched. Inside this section, they found the remains of six adults. They also found the remains of a child and a baby.
Along with the bones, they discovered some tools. There was a tool made of flint stone. They also found a small piece of pottery. These items give us clues about the people who lived and were buried here long ago.
