The Blackhammer is a Neolithic chambered cairn located on the island of Rousay, in Orkney, Scotland, sporting the unique Orkney–Cromarty chambered cairn construction. Characterized by burial compartments separated by upright stone slabs, the tomb, excavated in 1936, was determined to have originally been constructed with seven compartments divided by pairs of standing slabs. At that time, four of these stone pillars were missing.
The remains of two adult males, a pottery bowl, a flint knife, a polished stone axe, and animal bones were the revelations of the dig. The tomb's decorative masonry, arranged in a triangular pattern, is a characteristic trait of Neolithic tombs on the island of Rousay.
Constructed around 3000 BC, the oblong tomb measures 22.5 m by 8.9 m externally. It encloses a long burial chamber measuring 13.5 m by 2 m. Currently, the tomb is entered through a modern, concrete roof.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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