Skara Brae

archaeology · ancient homes · stone age · Scotland

Built from stone. Skara Brae is made entirely of stone because trees were scarce on the Orkney Islands. The people who lived there cleverly used flat stone slabs to build walls, roofs, and even furniture like beds and shelves.

Hidden by sand. The village was buried under sand dunes for thousands of years until a big storm uncovered it. The sand actually helped preserve the buildings in amazing condition, like a time capsule from 3200 BCE.

Stone furniture inside. Inside the homes, people had stone beds, storage boxes, and hearths for cooking and warmth. These objects show us exactly how families lived and what they valued in their daily lives.

Connected homes. The ten houses are linked by stone passageways, meaning the whole village was like one big interconnected structure. This suggests the community worked together and spent lots of time visiting each other's homes.

Incredibly ancient. Skara Brae is older than the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge, making it one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. People lived there for about 600 years before mysteriously abandoning the village.