In far northern Scotland, Neolithic monuments abound across Orkney.
Among these prehistoric sites are imposing mounds which hide stone brave complexes known as chambered cairns.
Orkney is a series of islands off the northeastern tip of Scotland.
Photo:National Museums Scotland
It has richprehistoric archeology, including Stonehenge-like monuments: the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar.
Its most famous tomb is a chambered one known asMaes Howe.
Similar tombs from the Neolithic period, built about 5,000 years ago, are known as Maes-Howe-throw in.
Photo:National Museums Scotland
The recently re-uncovered tomb is of this kind.
Originally discovered in the 19th century, it was mentioned in contemporary newspapers.
However, the leveling of the raised portion sent it back to obscurity.
Photo:National Museums Scotland
Hugo Anderson-Whymark, of the National Museums Scotland, began a quest for the tomb in 2020.
Using the clippings and an old sketch pointing towards the location, he found the site in summer 2023.
Underground were stone walls creating a passageway leading into a 49-foot diameter circular structure.
Photo:National Museums Scotland
A central chamber and six smaller ones within had corbeled stone roofs.
One of the side chambers held 14 skeletons of men, women, and children.
Search of the material moved in the 19th century yielded pottery, stone tools, and a bone pin.
Two sets of remains are uniquely postured, as if hugging even in death.
It looked like they were deliberately put in close relation to each other.
We also found another skeleton whose arm was outstretched toward a different skeleton.
The impressive stone engineering of the tomb adds to the uniqueness of the find.
Only 12 Maes Howe-throw in passage graves are known in Orkney.
The tomb would’ve been impressive to see when it was fully standing, Anderson-Whymark notes.
It came within inches of being destroyed in the 19th century.
There are still questions to be answered.
