Prehistoric People Built Little Artificial Islands in Scottish Lochs
Researchers nudged the construction date of some these landmasses, known as crannogs, back to the Neolithic period.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-a-crannog?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=d4601e1827-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_06_20&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f36db9c480-d4601e1827-63124913&ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_06_20_2019)&mc_cid=d4601e1827&mc_eid=dbc2f66964
Sherds of pottery found in the water helped researchers date the human-made islets nearby. COURTESY CHRIS MURRAY
LOCHS ACROSS SCOTLAND ARE SPECKLED with small, flat islets, known as crannogs. These may be rocky, or peaty, or studded with trees, and at first glance, “some people would think they are natural,” says Duncan Garrow, an associate professor of archaeology at the University of Reading. “However, in some cases they have obvious walls and causeways, which show they are man-made.” These little bits of land have long intrigued archaeologists, because in addition to being surrounded by water, they’re immersed in mystery. Researchers are still working to pinpoint precisely when humans lugged stones to build them, and why.
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Researchers nudged the construction date of some these landmasses, known as crannogs, back to the Neolithic period.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-a-crannog?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=d4601e1827-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_06_20&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f36db9c480-d4601e1827-63124913&ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_06_20_2019)&mc_cid=d4601e1827&mc_eid=dbc2f66964

LOCHS ACROSS SCOTLAND ARE SPECKLED with small, flat islets, known as crannogs. These may be rocky, or peaty, or studded with trees, and at first glance, “some people would think they are natural,” says Duncan Garrow, an associate professor of archaeology at the University of Reading. “However, in some cases they have obvious walls and causeways, which show they are man-made.” These little bits of land have long intrigued archaeologists, because in addition to being surrounded by water, they’re immersed in mystery. Researchers are still working to pinpoint precisely when humans lugged stones to build them, and why.