A Bronze Age 'sauna house' has been discovered in Orkney - complete with a network of cells and a water tank for creating steam.
The rare building is one of more than 30 structures found in the region dating back to between 2,000 BC and 1,000 BC.
They were discovered together with middens and cemeteries, which were partly exposed by natural erosion.
Bronze Age 'sauna' discovered off Scottish coast: Building may have been used for religious ceremonies 4,000 years ago
Building is one of 30 structures dating back between 2,000 and 1,000 BC
Experts believe the almost completely intact sauna or steam house may have been built for ritual purposes and was used by select groups
May have been used as a sweat house for healing and cleansing, or even as a place where women could go to give birth
By George Mair for MailOnline
29 September 2015
Daily Mail
A Bronze Age 'sauna house' has been discovered in Orkney - complete with a network of cells and a water tank for creating steam.
The rare building is one of more than 30 structures found in the region dating back to between 2,000 BC and 1,000 BC.
They were discovered together with middens and cemeteries, which were partly exposed by natural erosion.
Archaeologists have uncovered a Bronze Age 'sauna house' in Orkney (pictured) - complete with a network of cells and a water tank for creating steam
Experts believe the almost completely intact steam house may have been built for ritual purposes and was probably used by select groups or individuals for religious ceremonies.
Archaeologists say it is also possible that the building may have been used as a sweat house for healing and cleansing, or even as a place where women could give birth, the sick and elderly could go to die, or where bodies were cleansed before burial.
The discovery was made by Ease Archaeology on the periphery of the prehistoric Links of Noltland, on the island of Westray in Orkney.
The unusual find lies next to where the famous 'Westray Wife' - believed to be the earliest depiction of a human in Britain - was found in 2009.
Dating back to around 3,000BC, the Westray Wife is the earliest known depiction of a human in Britain
Work has been carried out at the Links of Noltland for several years, but the most recent discovery is one of the most remarkable to date.
The work is funded by Historic Scotland, who are this week merging with the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) to form a new heritage body called Historic Environment Scotland.
Experts believe the almost completely intact sauna or steam house (section pictured) may have been built for ritual purposes and was used by select groups or individuals for religious ceremonies
The unusual find (exterior pictured) lies next to where the famous 'Westray Wife' - believed to be the earliest depiction of a human face in Britain - was found in 2009
Rod McCullagh, Deputy Head of Archaeology Strategy at Historic Scotland said: 'This is a beautifully preserved site with lots of tantalising clues pointing to its use as an important building, central to the community who built it.
'We know this was a large building, with a complex network of cells attached to it and a sizeable tank of water in the central structure which would likely have been used to produce boiling water and steam - which could have been used to create a sauna effect.
'What this would have been used for we don't know exactly but the large scale, elaborate architecture and sophistication of the structure all suggest that it was used for more than just cooking.
'Whether its purpose was for feasting, rituals, important discussions, or maybe just for the same reasons we use saunas for today, is something we don't yet know.
'This is just the start of an exciting but painstaking process of analysis and research work but one which gradually adds to our understanding of what activities occurred here 4,000 years ago.'
Early analysis work suggested that the building is likely to be a 'burnt mound', which generally comprises of a fireplace, water tank and a pile of burnt stone.
Through experimentation and reference to medieval Irish literature, experts have hypothesised that stones were heated on a hearth before being placed into the tank of water, bringing the water to the boil and producing lots of steam.
The hot water could then be used to cook large quantities of food or for bathing, brewing, textile working.
But the hidden nature of the building - it is built into the landscape - together with its restricted access and tightly packed cells, suggest that it served a more specialised function than most burnt mounds.
Rather than being a gathering place for the many, it would probably have been used by a more select group, and likely used a sauna or steam house.
Examples in other countries show that such places are frequently associated with the performance of rites of passage and spiritual activities.
The hidden nature of the building (pictured) - it is built into the landscape - together with its restricted access and tightly packed cells, suggest that it served a more specialised function than most burnt mounds
In Scandinavia, saunas represent 'safe' places associated with cleansing and healing but also where deals are done and important discussions take place.
In Native American traditions, the architecture of the sweat lodge is heavily prescribed and rituals concerned with the spirit world are enacted.
In the cold windy conditions in which the Bronze Age people at Noltland lived, the concept of an underground building, filled with fire and steam, is likely to have stirred the imagination.
It may even have been consciously designed as a stage for ritual activity - perhaps in the form of a cult house or sanctuary.
Although lying undiscovered for thousands of years, these incredible structures have been exposed by the effects of natural erosion in recent years, and with the impending threat to its survival, Historic Scotland decided it was time to investigate these remains in greater detail.
The site will now be carefully backfilled in order to best protect it from the harsh Orkney winter, before potentially re-excavating again in Spring 2016.
WHAT COULD THE 'SAUNA' HAVE BEEN USED FOR?
Experts believe the almost completely intact steam house may have been built for ritual purposes and was used by select groups or individuals for religious ceremonies.
Archaeologists say it is also possible that the building may have been used as a sweat house for healing and cleansing, or even as a place where women could give birth, the sick and elderly could go to die, or where bodies were cleansed before burial.
Through experimentation and reference to medieval Irish literature, experts have hypothesised that stones were heated on a hearth before being placed into the tank of water, bringing the water to the boil and producing lots of steam.
The hot water could then be used to cook large quantities of food or for bathing, brewing, textile working.
But the hidden nature of the building - it is built into the landscape - together with its restricted access and tightly packed cells, suggest that it served a more specialised function than most burnt mounds.
Rather than being a gathering place for the many, it would probably have been used by a more select group, and likely used a sauna or steam house.
The rare building is one of more than 30 structures found in the region dating back to between 2,000 BC and 1,000 BC.
They were discovered together with middens and cemeteries, which were partly exposed by natural erosion.
Bronze Age 'sauna' discovered off Scottish coast: Building may have been used for religious ceremonies 4,000 years ago
Building is one of 30 structures dating back between 2,000 and 1,000 BC
Experts believe the almost completely intact sauna or steam house may have been built for ritual purposes and was used by select groups
May have been used as a sweat house for healing and cleansing, or even as a place where women could go to give birth
By George Mair for MailOnline
29 September 2015
Daily Mail
A Bronze Age 'sauna house' has been discovered in Orkney - complete with a network of cells and a water tank for creating steam.
The rare building is one of more than 30 structures found in the region dating back to between 2,000 BC and 1,000 BC.
They were discovered together with middens and cemeteries, which were partly exposed by natural erosion.
Archaeologists have uncovered a Bronze Age 'sauna house' in Orkney (pictured) - complete with a network of cells and a water tank for creating steam
Experts believe the almost completely intact steam house may have been built for ritual purposes and was probably used by select groups or individuals for religious ceremonies.
Archaeologists say it is also possible that the building may have been used as a sweat house for healing and cleansing, or even as a place where women could give birth, the sick and elderly could go to die, or where bodies were cleansed before burial.
The discovery was made by Ease Archaeology on the periphery of the prehistoric Links of Noltland, on the island of Westray in Orkney.
The unusual find lies next to where the famous 'Westray Wife' - believed to be the earliest depiction of a human in Britain - was found in 2009.
Dating back to around 3,000BC, the Westray Wife is the earliest known depiction of a human in Britain
Work has been carried out at the Links of Noltland for several years, but the most recent discovery is one of the most remarkable to date.
The work is funded by Historic Scotland, who are this week merging with the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) to form a new heritage body called Historic Environment Scotland.
Experts believe the almost completely intact sauna or steam house (section pictured) may have been built for ritual purposes and was used by select groups or individuals for religious ceremonies
The unusual find (exterior pictured) lies next to where the famous 'Westray Wife' - believed to be the earliest depiction of a human face in Britain - was found in 2009
Rod McCullagh, Deputy Head of Archaeology Strategy at Historic Scotland said: 'This is a beautifully preserved site with lots of tantalising clues pointing to its use as an important building, central to the community who built it.
'We know this was a large building, with a complex network of cells attached to it and a sizeable tank of water in the central structure which would likely have been used to produce boiling water and steam - which could have been used to create a sauna effect.
'What this would have been used for we don't know exactly but the large scale, elaborate architecture and sophistication of the structure all suggest that it was used for more than just cooking.
'Whether its purpose was for feasting, rituals, important discussions, or maybe just for the same reasons we use saunas for today, is something we don't yet know.
'This is just the start of an exciting but painstaking process of analysis and research work but one which gradually adds to our understanding of what activities occurred here 4,000 years ago.'
Early analysis work suggested that the building is likely to be a 'burnt mound', which generally comprises of a fireplace, water tank and a pile of burnt stone.
Through experimentation and reference to medieval Irish literature, experts have hypothesised that stones were heated on a hearth before being placed into the tank of water, bringing the water to the boil and producing lots of steam.
The hot water could then be used to cook large quantities of food or for bathing, brewing, textile working.
But the hidden nature of the building - it is built into the landscape - together with its restricted access and tightly packed cells, suggest that it served a more specialised function than most burnt mounds.
Rather than being a gathering place for the many, it would probably have been used by a more select group, and likely used a sauna or steam house.
Examples in other countries show that such places are frequently associated with the performance of rites of passage and spiritual activities.
The hidden nature of the building (pictured) - it is built into the landscape - together with its restricted access and tightly packed cells, suggest that it served a more specialised function than most burnt mounds
In Scandinavia, saunas represent 'safe' places associated with cleansing and healing but also where deals are done and important discussions take place.
In Native American traditions, the architecture of the sweat lodge is heavily prescribed and rituals concerned with the spirit world are enacted.
In the cold windy conditions in which the Bronze Age people at Noltland lived, the concept of an underground building, filled with fire and steam, is likely to have stirred the imagination.
It may even have been consciously designed as a stage for ritual activity - perhaps in the form of a cult house or sanctuary.
Although lying undiscovered for thousands of years, these incredible structures have been exposed by the effects of natural erosion in recent years, and with the impending threat to its survival, Historic Scotland decided it was time to investigate these remains in greater detail.
The site will now be carefully backfilled in order to best protect it from the harsh Orkney winter, before potentially re-excavating again in Spring 2016.
WHAT COULD THE 'SAUNA' HAVE BEEN USED FOR?
Experts believe the almost completely intact steam house may have been built for ritual purposes and was used by select groups or individuals for religious ceremonies.
Archaeologists say it is also possible that the building may have been used as a sweat house for healing and cleansing, or even as a place where women could give birth, the sick and elderly could go to die, or where bodies were cleansed before burial.
Through experimentation and reference to medieval Irish literature, experts have hypothesised that stones were heated on a hearth before being placed into the tank of water, bringing the water to the boil and producing lots of steam.
The hot water could then be used to cook large quantities of food or for bathing, brewing, textile working.
But the hidden nature of the building - it is built into the landscape - together with its restricted access and tightly packed cells, suggest that it served a more specialised function than most burnt mounds.
Rather than being a gathering place for the many, it would probably have been used by a more select group, and likely used a sauna or steam house.
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