Knap of Howar

Knap of Howar – Oldest Known Standing Settlement – NW Europe

Knap of Howar is one of the oldest known standing settlements of Scotland which lies in North-West Europe towards the west shore of Papa Westray in Orkney and the island is home to the Knap of Howar. It comprises of two inter-connected houses which dates back to the Neolithic or the New Stone Age.

 The name `Knap of Howar’, as it is named means the `knoll of mounds’, and describes the sandy dunes that cover the remains prior to their first excavations by William Traill and William Kirkness in the year 1929. The Knap had been inhabited during the same period as the famous Skara Brae site on Orkney mainland of Scotland though it was constructed earlier and is contemporary with a number of chambered cairns, elaborate mortuaries, which includes one on the Holm of Papay.

The combination of wind and winter storms have revealed stonework as well as shell packed midden or waste which have been utilised in insulating the structure. A two well-constructed oval and inter-connected stone buildings or house structures have been discovered which is presumed to belong to the Iron Age. Most of the Neolithic structures at that time were labelled `Pict’s Houses’ though William Traill was aware that these structures were likely to be much older than the Pictish period.

Representing Neolithic Farmstead

The well preserved buildings had been occupied by Neolithic farmers for over 5000 years back which had intact doorways, stone benches, stone partitions and the buildings were preserved well. They are considered to represent a Neolithic farmstead which was excavated between 1930 and 1970.The remains were left till 1070 when fresh excavations were done and consolidated by the Ministry of Works, presently Historic Scotland and was supervised by Anna Ritchie. Radiocarbon dating indicated that the Knap of Howar was inhabited between 3700 and 2800 BC.

The walls are 1.6 metres with the largest encompassing of an area of 10 metres by 5.0 metres and the smaller 7.5 metres by 3 metres. It has an upright slab dividing them in rooms and in several ways similar to Skara Brae on mainland Orkney, with the fittings and furniture which includes the hearth, built-in cupboards, pits and stone benches.

Similar to Modern Orcadian

The waste remains were the main pastoral rearing for cattle, sheep and pigs and there is also some evidence of cereal cultivation as well as harvesting of fish and shell fish. Entrances to the houses were by low narrow passage which provided a shelter from the Orkney weather and were also linked by an internal passageway which seemed very low.It is presumed that the Knap could not have been built by the primitive hunter gatherers but a product of confident farming society according to Ritchie.

From the evidence of the chambered cairns it indicates that they are similar to modern Orcadian – inhabitants of Orkney, though slightly a shorter version and few could have lived into their fifties. The people of Knap farmed cattle and sheep besides fishing. Pottery was also discovered at the Knap of Howar which is known as Unstan ware and it was at Unstan where evidence of such pottery was first located.