moss
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Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets Of Orkney
Dec 13, 2016, 10:22
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Something to look forward to in the new year...
Orkney - seven miles off the coast of Scotland and cut off by the tumultuous Pentland Firth, the fastest flowing tidal race in Europe - is often viewed as being remote. Yet it is one of the treasure troves of archaeology in Britain.
Recent discoveries there are turning the stone age map of Britain upside down.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2017/01/britains-ancient-capital-secrets-of-orkney
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tomatoman
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Re: Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets Of Orkney
Dec 13, 2016, 11:23
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I will be watching, for sure. Remains to be seen whether they add anything new to the story. I, for one, wasted years not visiting in the belief that a trip to Orkney was onerous. It's a quick 50 mins across the Pentland Firth.
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moss
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Re: Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets Of Orkney
Jan 02, 2017, 07:32
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Bumping this up, as it is on tonight between 9 and 10
"Orkney - seven miles off the coast of Scotland and cut off by the tumultuous Pentland Firth, the fastest flowing tidal race in Europe - is often viewed as being remote. Yet it is one of the treasure troves of archaeology in Britain.
Recent discoveries there are turning the stone age map of Britain upside down.
Rather than an outpost at the edge of the world, recent finds suggest an extraordinary theory… that Orkney was the cultural capital of our ancient world and the origin of the stone circle cult which culminated in Stonehenge."
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jonmor
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Re: Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets Of Orkney
Jan 02, 2017, 07:48
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CARL
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Re: Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets Of Orkney
Jan 02, 2017, 08:54
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Just heard an interview with Neil Oliver on Radio 2. Tonight's episode is the first of three. BBC2 9.00pm. I don't know when the other two episodes are on but no doubt they will let us know tonight. Sounds really good!!!! :) :)
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CARL
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Re: Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets Of Orkney
Jan 02, 2017, 22:23
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Excellent program (even allowing for the needless bits - did he really need to climb that rock stack?) It brought back a lot of happy memories of my trip to Orkney. Looking forward to the next episode! :)
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moss
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Re: Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets Of Orkney
Jan 03, 2017, 06:32
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CARL wrote: Excellent program (even allowing for the needless bits - did he really need to climb that rock stack?) It brought back a lot of happy memories of my trip to Orkney. Looking forward to the next episode! :)
Marvellous what a bit of social organisation can do, excellent building material lying around, enough food on the table? and creativity is the order of the day. My gripe was MPP/Stonehenge turning up. Excellent programme as you say.
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Rhiannon
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Re: Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets Of Orkney
Jan 03, 2017, 13:42
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Yes the gung-ho rock stack business elicited gripes in our house as well (though I was meanly gratified when he looked terrified when that bit of rock broke off). And P-P, why not get someone who was an expert on Orkney not drag in someone from stonehenge (with what appeared to be dubious connections) - it's not like there couldn't have been plenty of such people about. But I enjoyed it overall, all the neat stonework and corbelling and lovely landscape. So many places to think about going and it's definitely moved up the list.
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carol27
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Re: Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets Of Orkney
Jan 03, 2017, 19:35
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Just watched this on I player. How exciting. Neil Oliver has alluded to the importance of the Orkneys before. One day I may be able to visit:)
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Fitter Stoke
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Re: Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets Of Orkney
Jan 04, 2017, 09:17
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Yeah, good telly overall. Maeshowe always makes good viewing (check out the Drude's own take on it via YouTube) and I never tire of hearing how much older and more important the antiquities of the northern islands are compared to the over-exposed (but still wonderful, mind) Stonehenge.
The rock-climbing bit was indeed unnecessary though - and the guy's achievement in climbing that stack was pretty much cancelled out by the cameramen who'd clearly beaten him to it!
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