Perched dramatically on the edge of the Bay of Skaill on Orkney’s Mainland, Skara Brae is more than an archaeological site; it is a breathtaking portal to a lost world. This stunningly preserved stone-built village offers an unparalleled glimpse into the daily lives of people who thrived over 5,000 years ago, long before the Great Pyramids of Giza or Stonehenge were constructed. But who were these ingenious builders, and what is the story of their ancient settlement? The tale of Skara Brae is a fascinating chronicle of Neolithic ingenuity, resilience, and a timeline that stretches across six centuries.
The Architects: The Grooved Ware People of Neolithic Orkney
The people who built and inhabited Skara Brae were Neolithic farmers, hunters, and fishermen who belonged to a wider cultural group known as the Grooved Ware People, named after their distinctive style of flat-bottomed, intricately decorated pottery . This was a sophisticated society that had moved beyond a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle to establish permanent, structured communities based on agriculture and skilled craftsmanship.
Evidence from the site reveals a great deal about their lives:
- Farmers and Herders: They cultivated barley and wheat, using bone mattocks to work the land, and raised livestock including cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs .
- Expert Fishermen: Despite no fishhooks being found, huge quantities of cod and saithe bones, along with limpet shells, indicate they were adept at harvesting the rich resources of the North Atlantic . Waterproof stone boxes sunk into their floors were likely used to store limpets for bait .
- Skilled Artisans: They were not merely surviving; they were thriving and creating. They crafted tools from local chert and sandstone, bone pins and needles for clothing, and beautiful jewellery including necklaces, beads, and pendants . They also produced enigmatic carved stone objects, which may have held ritual significance .
The absence of weapons and the village’s undefended location suggest that they likely enjoyed a peaceful existence, focused on community, family, and their relationship with the land and sea .
A Timeline Carved in Stone and Sand
The story of Skara Brae is one of continuous occupation, adaptation, and eventual abandonment, all taking place over an immense span of time.
Phase 1: The Founding (c. 3180 BC)
The settlement was first founded around 3180 BC, during the Neolithic period . The earliest settlers chose this location wisely. At the time, it was not coastal but situated beside a freshwater loch surrounded by fertile land, a few hundred metres from the ancient shoreline . The first houses were built by scooping out structures from large mounds of domestic waste known as midden—a tough, clay-like material packed with organic rubbish that provided excellent insulation against Orkney’s harsh winds and cold winters .
Phase 2: Expansion and Rebuilding (3100 – 2600 BC)
Skara Brae was not a static village. It was occupied for approximately 600 years, and over those centuries, it underwent significant changes . Houses were abandoned, demolished, and rebuilt, often on the same spots . The architectural style evolved; the earliest houses (like Houses Nine and Ten) were circular with beds set into the walls, while later constructions became more rectangular with beds that protruded into the main living area .
The village grew to consist of seven or eight semi-subterranean huts built tightly against one another and linked by a network of low, roofed stone passageways . Each house was a marvel of Neolithic interior design, all following a similar layout: a central hearth, two stone box-beds (a larger one on the right and a smaller on the left), storage cubbies in the walls, and a striking stone “dresser” opposite the entrance, perhaps used to display special or ritual objects . A larger, unique structure (Building 8) with no beds and evidence of tool-making was likely a communal workshop .
Phase 3: Abandonment and Burial (c. 2500 BC)
Around 2500 BC, the village was abandoned . The reason remains one of Skara Brae’s most tantalizing mysteries. A popular romantic theory, fueled by the discovery of personal items like necklaces and tools left behind, was that a catastrophic sandstorm forced the inhabitants to flee in sudden haste . However, modern archaeology suggests a more gradual process of abandonment over 20 or 30 years . Potential causes include:
- Climate Change: A shift towards a colder and wetter climate may have made farming more difficult .
- Social Shift: The community may have simply outgrown the communal lifestyle and dispersed to establish individual farmsteads, a pattern more common in the ensuing Bronze Age .
- New Monuments: Intriguingly, the end of Skara Brae coincides with the rise of other major Neolithic monuments in Orkney, like the Maeshowe chambered cairn and the Ring of Brodgar, suggesting a possible cultural or religious shift in focus for the community .
Once empty, the sand slowly began to reclaim the village. Within a few decades, it was completely buried, which is what preserved its stone walls and furniture in such extraordinary condition for millennia .
Discovery and Re-Discovery: From Storm to World Heritage
Skara Brae’s long slumber under the sand ended by accident. In the winter of 1850, a ferocious storm battered Orkney, stripping the grass and earth from a large mound known as Skerrabra to reveal the stone structures beneath . The local laird, William Watt of Skaill, an amateur antiquarian, conducted the first excavations, uncovering four houses before interest waned .
The site was left vulnerable until 1924, when another storm damaged the ruins. This prompted a proper scientific investigation led by the renowned Australian archaeologist Professor Vere Gordon Childe . His work in the late 1920s initially placed the site in the Iron Age. It wasn’t until further excavations in the 1970s by David Clarke, and the application of the new technique of radiocarbon dating, that the site’s true, breathtaking age—5,000 years old—was finally revealed .
In 1999, Skara Brae’s global significance was officially recognized when it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of “The Heart of Neolithic Orkney” .
Timeline of Key Events at Skara Brae
| Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| c. 3180 BC | Village is founded | First settlers build homes into midden mounds. |
| c. 2900 BC | Main phase of construction | Stone houses with classic furniture layout are built. |
| c. 2500 BC | Village is abandoned | Inhabitants leave, reasons remain mysterious. |
| 1850 | Discovered by a storm | A severe storm exposes the buried structures. |
| 1924-1930 | Excavated by V. Gordon Childe | First major archaeological investigation. |
| 1970s | Excavations by David Clarke | Radiocarbon dating reveals the site’s true age. |
| 1999 | UNESCO World Heritage Status | Recognized as a site of outstanding universal value. |
Conclusion: A Legacy in Stone
The builders of Skara Brae were not primitive cave-dwellers; they were a sophisticated, resilient, and communal people who mastered their environment. They built a home that lasted for six hundred years, creating a time capsule that would eventually captivate the modern world. Today, cared for by Historic Environment Scotland, Skara Brae remains a place of ongoing discovery . It challenges our perceptions of prehistoric life and stands as a powerful monument to the everyday lives of our ancient ancestors—a true Neolithic masterpiece preserved in sand and stone.