Zenith of Iron Age Shetland facts for kids
The Zenith of Iron Age Shetland refers to three amazing ancient places in Shetland. These sites have asked to be added to the United Kingdom's "Tentative List" for the UNESCO World Heritage Programme. This program lists places that are super important for everyone's heritage.
The Shetland Amenity Trust applied in 2010. In 2011, these sites became one of 11 successful UK places to join the Tentative List. Three of these were from Scotland.
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Why These Sites Are Special
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The UK government asked for new places to add to its Tentative List. This list helps UNESCO decide which new sites should become World Heritage Sites. Being a World Heritage Site means a place is recognized as having huge global importance.
In July 2010, 38 places applied. Experts then looked at these applications. Their goal was to choose the best ones for the UK's new Tentative List in 2011.
Other Scottish places that applied included Arbroath Abbey and buildings by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in Glasgow. Only the Forth Bridge, the Flow Country, and the Shetland sites made the final short list.
Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore said these sites have a "wow factor." They are special and known around the world.
The Shetland Amenity Trust applied for the Zenith sites. Val Turner, an archaeologist, said the sites are "truly amazing." Getting World Heritage status would bring more visitors. It would also help islanders appreciate their history. She noted that Shetland is "in the heart of Iron Age and Viking history."
These Shetland sites are a "serial property." This means they are a group of related places. They all belong to the same historical and cultural period.
Exploring the Ancient Sites
Many different old things have been found at these sites. All three places have the remains of round towers called brochs.
Mousa: The Tallest Broch
The island of Mousa (59°59′56″N 1°10′30″W / 59.999°N 1.175°W) has been empty since the 1800s. It is famous for the Broch of Mousa. This Iron Age round tower is the tallest still standing anywhere. It is also one of the best-preserved ancient buildings in Europe.
It is believed this broch was built around 100 BC. There are over 500 brochs across Scotland. Historic Scotland looks after the site. Mousa is about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) off the east coast of the Mainland. It is about 16 kilometers (10 miles) north of Old Scatness.
The broch and its area are home to the world's largest group of storm petrels. These birds are very easy for visitors to see here.
Old Scatness: A Place Through Time
Old Scatness (59°52′45″N 1°18′21″W / 59.8791°N 1.3057°W) is an archaeological site in the south of the Shetland Mainland. It is close to Sumburgh Airport. This site has remains from the medieval, Viking, Pictish, Bronze, and Iron Ages.
People have lived here for thousands of years. Each new group built on top of the old buildings. A broch was found here in 1975. It has been dated to about 300 BC.
The site was first found when workers were improving the airport in the late 1970s. The Shetland Amenity Trust manages this important site.
Jarlshof: Layers of History
Jarlshof (59°52′09″N 1°17′27″W / 59.8692°N 1.2907°W) is very close to Old Scatness. It is near the southern tip of the Shetland mainland. People call it "one of the most amazing archaeological sites" in Britain. It has remains from 2500 BC all the way up to the 1600s.
People from the Bronze Age left small oval houses with thick stone walls. They also left decorated bone objects. The Iron Age ruins include a broch and a strong wall around the site.
From the Pictish period, there are artworks like a painted pebble and a symbol stone. The Viking-age ruins are the largest of their kind in Britain. They include a longhouse. Digs here found many tools. They showed what life was like in Shetland long ago.
The most visible buildings are the walls of a Scottish manor house. This house gave the site its name, "Jarlshof." This name first appeared in The Pirate, a novel by Walter Scott from 1821. Historic Scotland also takes care of this site.
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