Gàidhlig
For many years the ancient village of Skara Brae, on Orkney, was lost under layers of sand. Then a wild storm blew away some of the sand and the village was revealed again! Archaeologists found that lots of houses and objects had survived from over 5,000 years ago.
Wrap up warm, we are about to go on a journey to Orkney to explore Skara Brae.
Welcome to Skara Brae
People first settled in Skara Brae on Orkney around 5,000 years ago. This was a very long time ago. Many families have come and gone in this time. Let’s find out about the lives of these families.
The House
Forget the Flintstones, you are about to step inside a real "stone age" house! As you enter, you notice that almost everything is made of stone. There are cupboards, dressers and even bed frames. They are all made of stone. But why?
There were no trees on Orkney. So there was no wood to build homes or make tools. The villagers of Skara Brae used stone to build their houses and their furniture instead.
What are the cupboards made from in your home? What are the beds made from? Would you like to sleep on stone? How would it feel? It might feel cold, hard and rough.
How do you think the people of Skara Brae kept warm?
There were no radiators in Skara Brae. Today, we are lucky because we have central heating to keep us warm. In Skara Brae the hearth was the heart of the home. Its fire gave out warmth and cooked food.
What did the people of Skara Brae eat? Let's leave the house now and go to the fields to find out.
The Fields
You are now in the fields. The people of Skara Brae farmed the land for food. They also kept animals for food and skins. But animals were not just for eating, every bit was used for something. Even the animal’s bones were used.
When archaeologists found Skara Brae, they came across lots of objects made of bone. Other materials, like animal skins, did not survive 5,000 years in the sand.
A necklace and bracelet made of bone and ivory were found. The pendants are made of an animal’s tusk. The people of Skara Brae wore jewellery, just like you.
Hair pins were found. The people of Skara Brae wore pins to keep their hair out of their faces. What a good idea, it is windy in Orkney!
Let's journey to the beach to find out what else the people of Skara Brae ate.
The Beach
That was quite a walk, but you are now at the beach. The villagers ate fish, shellfish and sea mammals. Sometimes whales became stranded on the beach near Skara Brae. This was a good find for the villagers.
Whale meat was good to eat, the oil was burned to make light and whalebone could be carved into useful objects. Because there were no trees in Orkney, there was no wood to carve into things. Bone was used instead. Bowls and cups carved from the backbone of a whale or dolphin were found at Skara Brae. The people of Skara Brae ate out of bowls, just like you.
So now you've been to the house, the fields and the beach, it's time to leave Skara Brae. Think, what did you discover?
By looking at the houses and the objects inside them, it seems a few things haven’t really changed much in 5,000 years.
The people of Skara Brae had furniture, slept in beds, wore jewellery and cooked food, just like we do today. But there are a few changes. Today our furniture is made of different materials, we have central heating, we still eat meat and fish, but we don’t have to hunt for it ourselves! What else is different?
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