Region : Orkney Island : Mainland Town or village : Kirkwall Grid Reference : HY 397 125 Period : 1st millennium BC Rennibister SOUTERRAIN (EARTH-HOUSE)

In this well preserved example of an Orkney earth-house (or souterrain), four stone pillars support the once corbelled roof. The centre of the photo shows the entrance passage, only 0.7m high and wide: to get down to the chamber it would have been necessary to crawl. In the chamber's walls there are five small recesses. When originally examined, the chamber's floor was unexpectedly covered with the bones of six adults and at least twelve children of both sexes. The earth-house was discovered on 12 November 1926 when a threshing-machine broke its roof. It is interesting to note that this part of a prehistoric farm lies exactly on the same spot of a modern farm. In care of Historic Scotland

Other souterrains ------------------ Carlungie Culsh Grain Jarlshof Portnancon (Laid) Rennibister Tealing Other sites in Orkney ---------------------- Barnhouse Settlement Barnhouse Stone Blackhammer Comet Stone Cuween Hill Dwarfie Stane Grain Gurness Holm of Papa Westray North Holm of Papa Westray South Isbister (Tomb of the Eagles) Knap of Howar Knowe of Lairo Knowe of Yarso Liddle Maes Howe Midhowe Broch Midhowe Chambered Cairn Rennibister Ring of Brodgar (Brogar) Skara Brae Stone of Setter Stones of Stenness Taversoe Tuick Unstan Vinquoy Watch Stone Wideford Hill