In the winter of 1850, a huge storm hit Skaill Bay in the Orkney Islands in the northeast of Scotland, burying the village of Skara Brae under white sand dunes, until archaeologists discovered it in 1927. Scientists have just begun excavating this area, where humans lived 5,000 years ago.
After excavating the village of Skara Brae, it was found that there were only 10 houses, built of flat stones stacked on top of each other in earthen dams without mortar. The walls of each house are made of sandstone slabs with the walls and roofs covered with pebbles and sometimes animal bones.
The houses are designed quite simply, they look like small square huts linked together by complex entrances and exits. The average size of each house here is about 40m2, with the number of residents living at that time no more than 50 people.
The interior of the houses includes tables, chairs, stone beds, cabinets and some mysterious carved artifacts. The middle space of each house is placed with a rectangular fireplace, used for heating and cooking food. Along each wall is a stone bed covered with animal skins, next to a cupboard containing food. All of these everyday items are still intact and best preserved, perhaps thanks to the sand dunes that have covered them for thousands of years.
Residents who used to live in this area were farmers engaged in animal husbandry, farming, hunting and fishing. They were also skilled craftsmen who worked on animal skeletons, carved stone, decorated ships, made tools, and made pottery.
The village of Skara Brae was recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 1999. Today, under the influence of nature, erosion and the intense encroachment of sand and seawater make the village increasingly closer to the sea. than. In addition, the large number of tourists causes many problems for the area. Faced with this dangerous situation, local authorities are implementing many different preservation measures to reduce ongoing and future damage to the relic.
Once visiting this relic site, visitors will have vivid real-life experiences about a prehistoric village, specifically gaining new knowledge about the interior decoration of an ancient house. including beds, cabinets, tables and chairs made of stone.
Pictures of Skara Brae village:
