Blackhammer Chambered Cairn, Rousay, Orkney

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The sealed chambered tomb of Blackhammer is a perfect illustration of an ‘Orkney-Cromarty’ cairn. Its narrow entrance passage leads directly into a spacious central chamber, neatly divided by pairs of vertical stones into seven distinct compartments or stalls.\nThe outer facing stonework of the cairn is laid at sloping angles in a distinctive herringbone pattern. When the entrance was finally sealed shut, the blocking stones were deliberately placed to match this pattern on both sides of the passage with precision.\nIn 1936, Callander and Grant carefully excavated the remains of two adults; one found in the blocked entrance, the other discovered in the westernmost compartment. They also uncovered a substantial quantity of bird and mammal bones (many of which were charred), flint and stone tools, as well as Unstan Ware pottery of high quality.\nThe chamber was topped with a sturdy concrete roof in 1938.\nHES carefully manages the site, making it accessible to the public at no cost. To learn more about visiting, please visit our website for detailed information.\nExplore even more history of Blackhammer through the comprehensive resources available in the HES Archives.