The 2000-Year-Old Tomb On a Remote Scottish Island
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- Опубліковано 7 лип 2020
- Exploring a 2000-Year-Old Iron Age souterrain behind my house. Souterrains are a relatively overlooked oddity, both on Raasay and around the western fringes of Europe. They are however important, fascinating structures and this particular one had sat relatively undisturbed up the hill from my house for thousands of years.
I have a Patreon now! / calumraasay
Some great reading:
The Archaeology of Skye & The Western Isles by Ian Armit
The Development of Neolithic House Societies in Orkney by by Colin Richards, Richard Jones
The Souterrains of Ireland by Mark Clinton
Going Underground - Souterrains at The Cairns
archaeologyorkney.com/2015/12...
Twitter......................► / calumraasay
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Website....................►calumgillies.com
Most people during lockdown: ugh im so bored
Calum: i wonder what's in the 2000 year old tomb behind my house? 🧐
Your camera
"As it turns out: draugr."
@@ZGryphon 👍
This man's out here playing Skyrim delving into a dungeon behind his house like it's nothing with great video quality and is not even breaking 700 views, I wish you luck* with the UA-cam algorithm my friend, pray to RNGJesus
Haha Oh I don't mind, 700 views is like 4 times the population of my island! Thats a lot to me!
@@CalumRaasay That's an awesome refreshing mindset, nowadays people have been desensitized to the numbers online, we see 700 and don't bat an eye, 1 million and see it as normal, and only go "wow" when it's 10 million or other crazy numbers
I'd also be happy if I made a video and got 10 likes, 10 different people from all around the world liking what one made :)
But still, I really loved your other videos, found you through your snow cruiser video! That one was great, and the amount of views you got from it was 100% earned! I just think that *relative* you should be getting more for the effort you put into your content, cheers m8, keep creating, remember there'll be an audience to watch as always :D
@@CalumRaasay your content and production are so good. Keep making videos like this and folks will find it, and when they find the backlog you'll blow up, hahaha.
@@CalumRaasay Your video did just appear in my recommended.
So I suppose you should expect a few more views to pile in.
RNGJesus!? 🤣🤣🤣
Raise your hand if half the reason you come here is for his voice ✋ (the other half is because the videos are awesome 😄)
Brilliant video with some wonderful shots, it’s lovely to see the awe inspiring landscapes our wee country has.
Thank you!
As a Canadian, I wish somebody other then the French over here used “wee” 😜
Seriously impressive drone shots at 8:30
Great video. Considering that remains of other ancient civilisations like Egypt and Mesopotamia are left in completely barren landscapes, it's completely plausible that the most developed parts of the British isles could now be the most remote.
These places are magical, so much better than places like Stonehenge which you can't even get close to because of a massive fence, in Scotland you can walk right up to these places. My mum once even camped next to the ring of brodgar.
haha yeah, there's two sides to it- so many sites around here need attention, investigation and better protection but at the same time I can't deny it's wonderful being able to experience these sites 'in situ' and without anything around them.
@@CalumRaasay it's the eternal paradox isn't it, it's like the value of "collectables", good when thier value rises as they are acknowledged as being of greater worth, (monetary and intellectual), but then you find you can no longer afford to collect them!.
The Ness of Brodgar has dressed stone buildings dating back to 2600 BCE, 600 years earlier than anywhere else known so far.
I'm willing to bet these Souterrains have been used by a lot of people over the span of 2000 years. Would not be surprised if they served all the purposes you discussed in the video at different times. I'm so glad I found your content randomly because now I have an hour or 2 of amazing stuff to go through. Thanks for the amazing videos.
Thank you! Sorry I missed a whole bunch of your very lovely comments and thank you very much for your lovely feedback!
And a good air raid shelter..haha.
@@jamesdevine1005 By far the most important resources that would have been stored in the bunkers was tar and rope. Tar and rope were the engines of boats. The sort of thing required to maintain the heavy traffic past the British road-blockwith all city states sharing commodities whist transfer passed the 500 to 1200 mile journey around Britain to France from Ireland, in the days before the Caledonian Canal.
The local population would be relied on for ship repairs after a storm to have a store of safe shellfish/ballast water, fuel and food perhaps even lightthouses advertising the supplier. A never ending supply of rope would best be stored along with tar reasonably close to shore but underground where it could be reliably ignored until needed.
The Cymeric traders had a system of hostages that ensured trade was carried on safely wherever the traveller ended up these hostages were typically sons of lairds and may well have married, locally further strengthening trade routes.
You do a great job at showcasing our country’s beauty and history 🏴💙
You really narrate quite magnificently 👍
I stumbled across this video randomly. I must congratulate you on some of the most organic and interesting content around! It helps me take off my mind from the mainstream media!
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it, and glad I can perhaps help take some people’s mind off of all our current madness!
I stumbled across this while hiking around the Isle of Raasay on holiday and couldn't figure out what it was. I thought it might have something to do with the mines. Can't believe it's 2000 years old!
Thanks so funny, but exactly why I made this video! Glad you got a chance to see it.
There is a vent or small hole at the back (perhaps overgrown now). I remember my kids going in to have a look and me shouting through the vent - never seen them move so fast as they came running out screaming!
Raasay is one of the Islands I've not seen, although I've been to Skye many times. Thank you for the Arctic Mini, the Jerry can and this. I will no doubt see more, having subscribed.
I think the algorithm has blessed you Calum, came here from the Kharkovchanka video and i love the documentary style! You have a great voice and cadence, perfect for this kind of video.
Wow, thank you! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Just found your channel. Man; you live in a beautiful part of the world and present excellent, thoughtful and professional content. Thank you.
Thank you Brad! Appreciate that
thank you for reminding us to look at things as people would have looked at them when new. It brings a whole new perspective. P.S.: Love your "backyard"
Thanks Al, and yeah can't exactly complain can I! Great place to have spent the last year of lockdown ;)
@@CalumRaasay I'm so excited to have found this video. I became very attached to Raasay from 1989 - 1993, Geology mapping thesis, and I stayed in the old Magazine. I connected the water mains to the Magazine a stone's throw from this Soutraine .... and was oblivious it was there. Was it nigh on invisible before the excavation?
Discovered your channel today. Great work, this channel is going to blow up. I'm excited to see what happens.
Haha thanks Brandon!
I came here from your video about your little campervan. I love the way your videos vary, all interesting to various groups and no huge difference in your presentation whether it has 4 million+ views or a couple of thousand.
The common denominator is you and your interest in these things.🧠
I don't know what you plan for your future but I have a feeling it will work out well for you. Respect sir. 👍🏼
This was great, thanks young man. Really enjoying the mini documentary format.
Thank you! yeah to be honest 11-15 minutes is a great time format, and it forces me to edit neatly and not hang around too long, which is often a problem with yotuube videos!
This gave me nostalgia from my younger years exploring tombs outside of my grandparents house on the Orkney Islands. Keep it up, love the video format.
Thanks Austin! Whereabouts were your grandparents? I live in Orkney for a while! Love the place.
@@CalumRaasay without giving away too much personal details, near loch Stenness.
Austin McGrath beautiful spot! Used to live around Kirkwall for a while and was a guide at a few tombs.
@@CalumRaasay I remember seeing your Orkney pictures donkey years ago on Instagram. That's where I came from.
I love seeing a notification for one of your videos - as it’s always guaranteed to be fascinating, but completely different to your last
Thank you Dave! I like that people enjoy the varied content- so many channels focus on such specifics and their audience is so demanding of that particualr content I feel I would sicken myself quite quickly (for example if I only made videos about antarctic snow cruisers!), so I enjoy mixing things up!
Love these kinds of historical insights! Coherent narrative, outstanding editing and fantastic narration to boot!
Thank you! Really enjoyed making this :)
Amazing video mate, please please please do more like this! hopefully you get more exposure moving forward
Thanks Finn! Hoping to make a lot more about Scottish historical sites in the future!
Brilliant writing and videography. Thank you.
Absolutely phenomenal video! I love your content & cannot wait to see more.
Thanks Colin! Been great fun getting a chance to make these.
Some incisive, thoughtful commentary Calum, and well shot, a real pleasure to watch, thank you!
Thanks for watching Tom!
Dude I wish I had one of these behind my house
This is a very silly plan but I'd love to build a recreation on my land some day. Maybe keep some skyrim props in there.
@Calum That would be pretty sweet! I’d love to visit Scotland one day, I’m pretty much 100% Scottish, you can see it in the name lol. We took some DNA tests and we’re part of clan MacLachlan, which is super old. Maybe my ancestors built things like that?
Maybe you do!
Just out of interest Calum, what are the other structures near to this? I saw them from the aerial shots and was wondering about them.
BTW, I love the depth you go in to with your videos. Awesome work!
I like your thinking, Callum, you're casting a open eye on our history.
For my own tuppenceworth, I think storage and refuge are the most likely, particularly weapons storage (armoury).
You’re fucking awesome bro the most eclectic of knowledgeable videos, superbly extensive research, and fantastic shots as well. Renaissance man🥂
Really nice video again Calum! Can't wait what's more to come.
Thank you Timon!
Not enough archaeologists are careful enough assigning every little doorknob and shelf ornament to the auspices of a fertility goddess. Every strange chamber is a tomb, and every scribbling is a religious text. Thank you for taking the broader perspective.
Sometimes the more 'boring' uses are the most interesting!
Brilliant video with some amazing shots, I’m from the south of Scotland and it’s so nice to see other beautiful places in our country especially at this time when we can’t explore new places so much.
I never really considered that- I might make some more to tide people over in lockdown!
I like your open-mindedness about what it's use might have been. To me it looks like a root cellar, which might have been used to store root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, etc.) I suppose they didn't have potatoes at those times, but storage and preservation of food through the Winter.
Another phenomenal video, and very well shot too!
Thank you!
Great quality content, interesting and informative.
Coincidentally as the footage of the 'back' wall on the thing appeared I thought that looks I incongruent like someone has just blocked it up. May well be that it went further underground in which case, a landowner or occupier since just didn't want their animals wandering off or something.
Also on the drone footage of the surrounding area you can see two big rings almost joining, vabd a straight edge on one, and this underground structure entrance is roughly in the centre of one..
🧐🙂
Has anyone ever suggested that some of these could've been used as a hunting lodging or camp? Seems like a good way to stay concealed and sheltered for a few days while not affecting the surrounding area. It would need little to no upkeep and could be used year after year by generations, even shared by several families in a given community, like an ancient time-share for different hunting seasons either as a shelter, or temporary store for their catch or kill. I could see everything from trapping or fishing, to waiting out passing deer or other game while bow hunting.
Either way, what a cool thing to have so close to your home. What a beautiful place, as well.
Fantastic video! Thank you for sharing it 🙂
Thanks for watching!
It's unbelievable some of your videos don't have more views, cool history.
Well if giant Antarctic tractor-motorhomes weren't enough, you've certainly got my attention now. Brilliant script, that just gets better as it goes. Farley Mowat's speculative non-fiction "The Farfarers" first called my notice to the long history in this part of the world. As you said, "We are all, at the end of the day, just a tiny spec in the vast time-line of the world." Indeed, sir. Well done.
Thank you chip! Had a lot of fun making this and I really hope I get the chance to make more like it!
Have you snaked an inspection camera through the gabion wall? I'm asking because such a small interior space kind of flies in the face of the way the entrance is made.
It’s just the shale beyond there I’m afraid. Very mysterious looking but like I say we’re essentially in a basin with the stone walls ‘coating’ the interior.
@@CalumRaasay Aaaah, ok. Now it makes sense. I was bamboozled by the odd shape, as if it was an antechamber, but if it's a basin, that makes perfect sense as to the shape. Thanks.
Great video. Scotland is my favorite country that I have ever visited.
Even through the screen, I can feel myself moving back in time.
I watched a few of your automobile videos ,,, they were excellent ... But when you got on this ancient bottle tomb ,,, I had to speak up ... I've studied and read extensively the Tain boe ,,, Orkney sagas ... I'm Clan Donald ... You know from Isle of Skye ,,, so I would love to one day walk those green fields ,,, well done 👍👍👍
your work is amazing mate
Thank you Felix! Appreciate that!
Outstanding ... a lot to think about there. Cheers!
Wonderful narration..Aplus knowledge and assumptions.
Thank you kindly!
Incredible video, thanks
Thanks sausage! 🍆
One of these just half a mile from my house grew up playing in it, it is an iron age burial mound, the one local to me is called hetty peglers tump.
Just found you, super impressed with your videos. Wonderful educational content. Oh my, you live in a beautiful place.
Thanks James, yeah really can't complain about where I am, thats for sure!
Really loved this video, what an amazing part of the world, I hope I get to visit one day.
Let me know if you ever want a tour of the island!
@@CalumRaasay I'll take you up on that one day! Likewise if you ever end up in South Australia and want a tour of some of my local ancient places feel free to message!
Wonderful, unbelievably I have visited your beautiful Island ' Twitching' for Aquila Chrysaetos/Haleaeetus Albacilla.
A Most impressive/informative video,of course have Subscribed.
A Much Appreciative
Raptor Rob 👍
This deserves so many more views
Thanx, one place i wish i had ticked of my list.
certainly unique in its beauty
It really is!
I want to see some of the western islands soon.
Oh gosh yeah, the Western Isles have so much to show off- especially the more unknown structures such as wheelhouses.
Fabulous video. Subscribed.
Amazing!
great film
Very nice easy-going video Calum! They sure had a powerful will and lots of time on there hands didn't they?
Reminds me of a quote from an article in the New Yorker I was reading yesterday about the Falklands. One fo the farmers who used to work the hills talked about how less hectic and busy life was "you had a year to do a year’s work, and there was nothing you could do to change the cycle". Really like that. That said these guys were no doubt incredibly busy, far busier than me!
I’d love you to do a programme on Rubh’ an Dunain on Skye. One of my most favourite places on Skye best regards from Switzerland.
Fascinating and fertile speculation about how different popular concepts may have been thousands of years ago. We may be blinded by modern concepts and thus miss the real significance of ancient structures. Thanks for a great video!
I wish I had known about this when I was on Raasay a couple of years ago. Will just have to go back again.
Brilliant video. Asteroid impact shelter, or maybe they were fed up with Icelandic volcanoes. Safest place to be when the sky is on fire.
There was an episode of Time Team, and a suggestion was made that people stashed food etc well away from where the lived, sort of like squirrels.
Must of been hard to get good lighting inside the shelter. The way I imagine it, the cave was a shelter for travellers as they were moving around the islands. It is a lot more sturdy than an above land shelter so they could count on it being there every time. The curve in the door could possibly for defence so the people inside had the right hand advantage when swinging at someone coming in. Also I think trying to stop the wind could be likely. Obviously, I am likely wrong and don't know what I am talking about. Is there any sort of drainage inside there? I could imagine that it fills up with water every time it rains. Again, another great video.
You live in a paradise!
That looks like a entrance to a old mine that was sealed off.
Did see a souterrain at Castle Law, Pentlands…inland and east coast.
Very interesting...maybe a store for very valuable product, Raasay I think had a tin mine?? Maybe you could do a video on Brochs...
I basically want to plant a forrest. They say every man has to plant a tree at least once in his life anyway. So I planted my first tree last year. Well, I relocated a hornbeam sappling from a place where it had much competition (there where Rhodondendrons in the vicinity as well!) to our garden where it now has the prime place. It thanks us by growing strongly. So far so good. The only trouble is that there is no more room left in our tiny garden to give other trees a similar chance of becoming part of "my / our forrest". Ergo: Am I allowed to be a bit yealous of you not having the same problem? What a landscape, on and outward of your personal lot! What this al has to do with Souterains? Well, not much but a personal grotto would also be a nice addition. Maybe I can build a miniature one out of some old bricks. (deep sigh!)
Great comment, and fully agree! While I'm keen to build my house at the moment, what really excites me is the idea of both clearing my land of Rhododendron so my trees can breathe a bit easier and so I can plant more!
@@CalumRaasay Well, you've got your work cut out then. Virtually speaking that is. The rest is surely mostly a matter of persistance. I'd love to come and help you but I am too busy with my one-tree forrest! :-)
amazing
fascinating!
Thank you Giffy, I've always been somewhat obsessed with them!
@@CalumRaasay There is such a rich history in that part of the world. I live in New England and while there certainly is a history here and even some that goes back pretty far, the places are few and far between.
Time Team did one similar to this. I think it was on Orkney. I had been filled with victorian garbage. The came up with no real answers either. Must be something to go behind your house in to a chamber built by people living thousands of years ago where your house is now.
I think you're referring to the to Mine Howe on Orkney. Without a doubt one of the most facinating Iron Age structures in the UK
Awesome.
If asked me, those stones stacked up at the end of the souterain do not belong there originaly.
Of course I am not going to mention the idea to take some away and see what is behind it. 😉
When considering use of structures as tombs its important to consider how handy unused ruins originally built for some other purpose can be for use as tombs.
Another awesome video Calum and i would love to visit Raasay on my tour of Scotland as it looks absolutely Beautiful and maybe we could share a scotch or two.
I want to build a underground room on my property. Why? Cuz it seems neat. Sometimes I look at things like souterrains and wonder if it was just something to do. Maybe not everything people in ancient times did was for a reason. Maybe it was just the "in" thing to do. We always think how hard it must have been to live back then, but that's thru our eyes. There could have been some nut like me who just thought having his owe cave was cool and they caught on? I'm sure they have a lot more meaning and use than that but seems no one ever brings up the more random/simple answer.
Just to ramble, look at garden follies. They were all the rage a couple hundred years ago. Hell people use to hire hermits. Ya never know, maybe these were just something people built cuz it was what ya did. Again not saying that is what they really were, but hopefully you see my point.
All the best,
Jay
Whoa! 🤯
I’m left asking what is the relationship of this souterrain to other local archeology? Is there nearby buildings that hint at how it could have be used over time?
Superb presentation narrated beautifully. Thanks xxx...Could they have been for keeping slaves?
a island i living,similar cave like this, but for pirates storage stuffs.
Looks like a storm shelter of past ? Place to run incase of big storms
Don't forget the sea level was different back then too
self time team!
Nice
Fantastic footage. Not at all envious of your location 🤥
Haha can't say I can complain about my lot in life!
I’m very thankfull to live in Europe with all its exciting history.
I did excursions to celtic and roman places during lockdown.
Imagine living in Kansas city USA, or so.
(Sorry Kansas, you’ve got the best barbecue, though)
Eh, one of the few downsides of being in north America, especially Kansas. Our written history could be debated as early as the 15th century when Coronado came. Sadly because a large amout of native Americans didn't keep records or build permanent villages in Kansas (due to being nomadic). Much of what could be have been a rich history was lost. On the bright side I can go anywhere in kansas and not have to worry about unexploded ordinances from modern wars. So I feel like its a fair trade
American here - saying one region has the best BBQ over another is tantamount to starting a fight! I'm partial to Texas BBQ myself.
Is it possible it might be some kind of iron age bothy? a small shelter to be used by peoples travelling by island hopping up or down the coast? it seems to be located quite close to the water and with that kink in the steps it definitely seems like this is to keep out the worst of the elements
What’s the difference between a souterrain and a Fugu like I saw on time team?
P.S. thanks for showing us that and that was a good lecture.
That drywall in the souterrain looks very suspiciously like it is located at the start of a passage as the lintels lead you in towards that drywall. Is there perhaps a passage beyond that drywall? You have to ask: " Why would there be a packed drywall in that narrow section of the souterrain when all the rest of the walls are simply the rock that it was carved from??
If I had to guess, I'd say the souterrain was built to hide people from an enemy that may have visited from time to time. I'd say the entrance would have been much smaller and the final cover that concealed the entrance would have been no more than about 400mm x 400mm. The cover would have contained on its upper part, some soil and a growing grass layer so that when the lid is put back over the hole after crawling inside, someone on the outside would find it difficult to see that there was a hidden entrance...
Who knows?
The drywall doesn't lead anywhere. You can actually see from above, especially during excavation, that it's dug down into the stone. It's essentially a basin lined with stone so it can't lead anywhere. Looking closely you can actually make out the stone face behind the wall.
The Hebrides has always been important to Scotland 🏴
thanks... wondering what's behind the wall?
It’s just the shale beyond there I’m afraid. Very mysterious looking but like I say we’re essentially in a basin with the stone walls ‘coating’ the interior.
I would so move in....
(Says the hermit from Australia)
👍🤠🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🤠👍
The place feels like a dwelmer is gonna come wondering around the corner
Shepherds (farmers) shelter.
Just a wild guess.
They had great public loos back in the day .Probably had a geezer at the top charging two cowrie shells for entrance and a dock leaf . Well myths have to start somewhere !
If Demolition Man taught me anything, you need those shells.
Good vid but wish you hadn't cut to a different shot, and done just a strait out walk thru with sizes and distances. Has there been any lidar used in the area?
I did try but unfortunately my 'continuous shot' didnt work once I got home 🙄. Don't know if specifically lidar in this area but it has been used in and around digs, there's a wealth of info on CANMORE about the surrounding areas here.
If they are foodstores related it might have been for making cheese or something like that.
Obviously it's a home media room ...no screen reflections
As an American, I tend to forgot just how immensely old Europe is. There are surviving structures thousands of years old.
Here in the USA, there simply aren't any old stone structures like those in Europe. Native Americans didn't really build structures like the ones over there. They didn't leave as significant of a mark on the land as Europeans did.