Skara Brae is an ancient Neolithic village in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. It is often called the "Pompeii of Scotland" due to its extraordinary state of preservation. This settlement, dating back to around 5000 years ago (around 3100-2500 BC), is older than the Great Pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge.
The village of Skara Brae consists of a series of stone houses linked by covered passages, with built-in furniture such as beds, shelves and stone cupboards. Its discovery in 1850, following a violent storm that removed the layers of sand that had buried it for millennia, has provided valuable information about the daily life of the first inhabitants of the British Isles.
Recently, several Neolithic settlements have been discovered that are older than the Pyramids of Giza. One of these is the village found at the site of Tell el-Samara, located in the Nile Delta, about 140 kilometres north of Cairo. This settlement dates back to about 7,000 years ago (about 5,000 B.C.), predating the Pyramids and the pharaohs by millennia. Archaeologists have found plant remains, animal bones, pottery, and stone tools, indicating a settled farming community. This discovery offers valuable insights into the prehistoric societies of Lower Egypt and the origins of agriculture in the region.
Another significant discovery was made on Triquet Island, a small island in British Columbia, Canada. Here, archaeologists found the remains of a village dating back about 14,000 years, making it one of the oldest settlements ever discovered on the west coast of North America. Among the artifacts found are fire-making tools, fish hooks, and hunting tools, providing valuable insights into the earliest human communities in the region.
Finally, the site of Göbekli Tepe, located in what is now southeastern Turkey, is considered the oldest temple discovered to date, dating back to around 12,000 years ago (10,000 BC). This monumental complex, consisting of stone pillars arranged in circles, predates the Pyramids and Stonehenge by millennia, offering new insights into humanity's earliest forms of social and religious organization.
These discoveries are revolutionizing our understanding of early human civilizations and their organizational and cultural capabilities.
argo on the north coast of Scotland. This prehistoric village is older than the Pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge, dating back to around 3200-2500 BC.
The village remained hidden under layers of sand for thousands of years until a violent storm in 1850 removed the sand, exposing its extraordinary stone structures. Since then, archaeologists have studied the site, revealing valuable details about the daily lives of the people of the time.
Skara Brae consists of eight houses linked by narrow covered passages, which probably served to protect the inhabitants from the harsh climate of Orkney. The houses were built of stone and surprisingly well organised:
Stone beds, probably covered with animal skins.
Cupboards and shelves, known as "dressers", used to store tools and objects.
Central hearths for heating the rooms.
Drainage channels, perhaps used as early sanitation systems.
The inhabitants of Skara Brae
The people who lived in Skara Brae were farmers, herders and fishermen. They grew barley and raised sheep and cattle. Tools found in the village show that they used stone and bone tools and produced decorated pottery.
The mystery of its disappearance
It is not known for sure why Skara Brae was abandoned. Some scholars suggest that a dramatic change in climate made life difficult, while others think that a sudden storm forced the inhabitants to flee.
Historical importance
Today, Skara Brae is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Scotland's most fascinating archaeological attractions. Its exceptional state of preservation offers an unprecedented glimpse into the life of a Neolithic community over 5,000 years ago.
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