Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron AgeAnderson, Joseph
History
Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron Age
Anderson, Joseph
Scotland -- Antiquities
Fig. 185.—Ground plan of Broch of Kettleburn, near Wick, Caithness.
(From a Plan by Mr. A. H. Rhind.)
]
When fully cleared from the ruin of its upper portion, the lower part of
the building showed a circular construction (_b b_ in the accompanying
plan, Fig. 185), consisting of a wall 15 feet thick, surrounding a
central area of 30 feet diameter. The doorway (_e_) passing straight
through the wall, was flanked by a guard-chamber (_t_) on either side.
Remains of two oblong chambers (_r_, _i_) constructed in the thickness
of the wall were also found some distance apart. The roofs of all the
chambers were gone, but the lintels remained on the passages leading
into them. There was a well with steps leading down to it in the central
area. It was 9 feet deep, and being covered for the support of a
partition wall (_p p_) which passed over it, was full of good spring
water when discovered. The area enclosed within the circular wall of the
Broch was subdivided into irregularly-shaped spaces (_m_, _s_, _o_) by
walls built across it in various directions, and abutting on the main
wall. I shall have more to say of such irregular constructions within
and around these towers when we come to deal with them in other cases,
which show that they are secondary constructions, built out of and upon
the fallen materials of the primary edifice. The area outside the tower
for a distance of 25 feet from its external wall was covered by the
ruins of similar irregular constructions (_c d_), and the whole was
surrounded at that distance from the central tower by a wall (_a_) 3
feet thick, of whose height little more than the foundations remained.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account