ORCADIA-L Archives

Archiver > ORCADIA > 2003-12 > 1071580270


From: stephen davie <>
Subject: Re: [<orcadia>]
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 08:13:45 -0500
In-Reply-To: <000201c3c36e$f19664d0$ae4aa5ca@ibmbn205fp>


Good thought. But the numbers seem somewhat overwhelming. 24 canine
skulls in one little cairn.
On Monday, December 15, 2003, at 07:52 PM, Juliet Marillier wrote:

> <Why would one in those days, when excavations and stonework involved
> so
> much backache and sweat, would someone choose to bury their canine
> comrades in a fashion that mimics an Egyptian royal?>
>
> Interring the skulls of various animals most likely had a ritual
> purpose. I realise these are Neolithic remains, but if you think
> forward
> to the Picts, their symbol stones feature all manner of creatures along
> with the more obscure symbols, in keeping with their close relationship
> with the natural environment. And there's one theory that says the
> Orcadian Picts were actually descended from the Neolithic inhabitants
> of
> the islands. It's highly likely the Neolithic people of Orkney had a
> faith and ritual observance closely tied the elements, the seasons,
> heavenly phenomena etc, so a representative sample of animal skulls is
> perhaps not so surprising.
>
> Juliet
>
>
>
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