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Maeshowe - The Main Chamber

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THEMAINCHAMBER

Maeshowe

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TheLayoutoftheCairn
TheEntrancePassage

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Maeshoweandthe
WinterSolstice
Acoustics
Maeshowe'sMound
Dweller
TheMaeshoweRunes
TheMaeshoweDragon
TreasureinMaeshowe?
Maeshowetheoriginof
thename

bendingdoubletonegotiatethe
narrow,low,entrancepassage,
whenthevisitorreaches
Maeshowe'smainchamber,it
unfoldsasavastexpanseofspace.

Withanareaofapproximately4.7square
metres,thechamberhasfourmassivebuttresses
(seepicturebelowleft)builtintoeachcorner.

ImagesofMaeshowe
ExternalLinks

StonesofWonder
MaeshowePage
IncisedMotifsat
Maeshowe
VictorReijs'Maeshowe
pages

Alargestoneslab,facingthecentreofthe
chamber,flankseachbuttress.
Ithasbeensuggestedthatthesefourmegaliths
wereoncepartofanolderstonecircle,perhaps
onethatstoodonthesitebeforeMaeshowe.
Thediscoveryofastandingstonesockethole,
outsidethecairnin1996,seemstoaddweightto
thisidea.
Butonceinsidethechamber,theskillofthe
Neolithicbuildersbecomesimmediately
apparent.Thequalityofthedrystonestonework
isimpeccable.
Thestructure'swallsriseverticallytoaheightof
1.4metres(4.6ft)beforetheybegintoslope
inwardstofinishin,whatwouldoncehavebeen,
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Maeshowe - The Main Chamber

a
corbelled
roof.
Andbuilt
intothe
centreof
eachofthe
threewalls
facingthe
entrance
isaside
chamber.

Maeshowe'spresentroofisamodernone,
installedin1910,whenthemonumentwastaken
intostatecare.
Priortothis,andasconfirmedbyJamesFarrer's
1862sketch,picturedbelow,thechamber'sroof
hadnotsurvived.
Thetopofthestructurewasdamagedduringthe
1861excavation.
Becausetheentrancewasblocked,the19th
centuryexcavatorswerethelatestinaseriesof
"visitors"whoenteredtheprehistoriccairnby
breakingthroughtheroof.
The

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Maeshowe - The Main Chamber

heightoftheoriginalroofisnotknown,
althoughitcouldhavebeenanythingfrom4.5m
(14.7ft)to6m(19.6ft)high.

RUNICGRAFITTI
Maeshowescentralchamberisrenownedfor
containingoneofthelargestcollectionsof
VikingrunesinEurope.
Runicinscriptionsarefoundscratched
throughoutthechamberthelegacyofagroup
ofNorsemenwhoshelteredinthecairninthe
12thcentury.
Clickhereformoredetails.

http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/maeshowe/chamber.htm

CopyrightSigurdTowrie,19962016

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