Documents

Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).

The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM3535_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600009596)

Summary

Description

The monument is a chambered cairn of Orkney-Cromarty type dating from the Neolithic period (probably between 3500 and 2500 BC). It survives as a circular, grass-covered stony mound, measuring approximately 9m in diameter. The cairn was partly excavated in 1937 and now stands approximately 0.8m high. The entrance passage opens from the ESE. The burial chamber is 3.4m long and divided into three compartments by upright slabs, several of which are still visible, together with much of the overlying cairn material. The excavated finds included flints, stone tools and an unusual type of pottery bowl, likely to be early in the Orcadian pottery sequence. The monument is situated on a gentle E-facing slope at approximately 30m above sea level, overlooking Eday Sound. The monument was originally scheduled in 1936, but the documentation did not meet modern standards: the present amendment rectifies this.

The scheduled area is a circle on plan, 25m in diameter, centred on the centre of the monument. The scheduling includes the remains described above and an area around them within which evidence relating to the monument's construction, use and abandonment is expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance because it has inherent potential to make a significant contribution to our understanding of the past, in particular the design and construction of burial monuments, and the nature of belief systems and burial practices in Neolithic Orkney. Although partly excavated, Sandhill retains its field characteristics to a marked degree. It is particularly valuable because, on the basis of the unusual pottery it has produced as well as its small size, it appears to be early in the sequence of Orcadian tombs. Chambered cairns are an important component of the wider prehistoric landscape in Orkney and the importance of the Sandhill example is enhanced by its proximity to two other chambered cairns, both of which lie within 600m. Chambered cairns are often focal points in the landscape and can inform our understanding of prehistoric land-use and social organisation. They also have the potential to enhance our understanding of Neolithic society in general, its organisation, economy, religion and demography. The loss of the monument would significantly diminish our ability to appreciate and understand the meaning and importance of death and burial in prehistoric times and the placing of such monuments within the landscape.

References

Bibliography

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.