Archaeologists uncover remains of 2,500 yr old Iron Age tower in Scotland
20 Jul 2008, 1029 Hrs

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Edinburgh, July 20 (ANI): Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a massive stone tower which could have been the biggest Iron Age building on Orkney, an archipelago in northern Scotland.

According to a report in the Scotsman, the structure, which has been uncovered at the Cairns, South Ronaldsay, was created around 2,500 years ago and would have been about 70ft wide.

The three-week dig has revealed a complex of buildings, with the remains of the stone tower, or broch, at the centre.

On the outside, the tower would have been around 70 feet wide - bigger than Orkney's best preserved brochs at Gurness in Evie and Midhowe in Rousay.

Martin Carruthers, a lecturer at Orkney College who is leading the dig team, estimated that the walls could have been around 16 feet tall, with a conical turf roof.

"Around 2,500 years ago, if you'd sailed into the bay, you'd have seen this incredibly impressive building up on the hill. We are marvelling at the confidence of those who put together a building of this substance and bulk," he said.

"Virtuoso builders were needed to create a monumental structure of this kind. Dry-stone building skills reached their zenith with a sophisticated building like this," he added.

The buildings uncovered so far are thought to date from around 400BC to AD400. (ANI)