0:00:02 > 0:00:04Stonehenge,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07on the plains of Southern England.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Britain's most famous ancient monument.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14But over 500 miles north,
0:00:14 > 0:00:19new discoveries are being unearthed that challenge its supremacy...
0:00:19 > 0:00:21How extraordinary.
0:00:21 > 0:00:26..and they're turning the Stone Age map of Britain on its head.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Could the centre of our ancient world
0:00:28 > 0:00:31really have been the remote islands of Orkney?
0:00:33 > 0:00:37A place cut off by the fastest flowing stretch of water in Europe.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41We're investigating how these far-flung islands
0:00:41 > 0:00:45may have forged Britain's first common culture.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49- Andy, look at this! - This is so impressive.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51So far, we've discovered their society was much older
0:00:51 > 0:00:54than previously thought...
0:00:54 > 0:00:56So there we go.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00The earliest possible date is 3512 years BC.
0:01:00 > 0:01:01That is early.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04..that people and their animals were drawn here from Europe...
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Look at that. Orkney vole.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11..and that the stone circles here inspired Stonehenge.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15It boggles the mind, it beggars belief.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Now our team has a new mission.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25If Orkney was the cultural capital of Britain, how did they do it?
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Engineer Shini Somara
0:01:27 > 0:01:29and archaeological adventurer Andy Torbet
0:01:29 > 0:01:33investigate how they could have navigated the treacherous seas.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37The wind's picked up and the sea's picked up, it's much, much choppier.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Naturalist Chris Packham and cameraman Doug Allen
0:01:40 > 0:01:43will explore how they could have survived and thrived
0:01:43 > 0:01:45on these remote islands.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Look at the size of that!
0:01:47 > 0:01:49We discover a mass deposit of bones...
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Oh, that's pretty special.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55..and ask how their beliefs might have bound their society together.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58This isn't human sacrifice?
0:01:58 > 0:02:00We're joining hundreds of archaeologists,
0:02:00 > 0:02:06volunteers and locals to discover how this ancient society
0:02:06 > 0:02:10in far-flung Orkney could have dominated Britain
0:02:10 > 0:02:11for a thousand years.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Orkney.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28An archipelago of over 70 islands off the north coast of Scotland.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31At their heart is an archaeological dig
0:02:31 > 0:02:33which is rewriting history.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36The Ness of Brodgar.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Poised on a narrow spit of land between two stone circles.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44We're getting closer to understanding the significance
0:02:44 > 0:02:46of this place,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49and its influence on the rest of Britain.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56They started building here around 5,500 years ago.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59That part of the Stone Age called the Neolithic,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01when people began to farm.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09The archaeologists and volunteers have been digging here
0:03:09 > 0:03:11every summer for over a decade.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18So far, they've uncovered 14 monumental buildings.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Surrounded by a massive perimeter wall,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26everything about this complex reveals ambition.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Now the team are poised to reveal the secrets of the building
0:03:30 > 0:03:33at its heart, the structure which they think
0:03:33 > 0:03:38may have been some kind of a temple.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41This is structure ten, the most famous building
0:03:41 > 0:03:43on the Ness of Brodgar.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45It's been called the Cathedral of Orkney.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49I'm on the outside of the wall.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53I'm standing on a pavement that runs right round all four sides of the
0:03:53 > 0:03:55building, and it's truly vast.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58It would have been the most grandiose structure
0:03:58 > 0:04:00that was ever here.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08The archaeologists have reached a crucial stage of their excavation.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11They're right down at the foundation stones,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14which can often conceal the most significant finds.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Some stones here that we can lift this season,
0:04:17 > 0:04:21but we don't want to be removing this too quickly,
0:04:21 > 0:04:23we want to take a lot of care about it.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26It's somewhat frustrating, as you can imagine,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28because there could be anything underneath there.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31But we're just going to have to wait and see in time.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37Whatever's buried beneath here
0:04:37 > 0:04:40might give vital clues about the philosophy,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42rituals and beliefs of this culture -
0:04:42 > 0:04:47beliefs which may have spread throughout Neolithic Britain.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51But it'll be a few days before they're ready to lift the slabs.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55In the meantime, we've set up our camp
0:04:55 > 0:04:58on a hill above the site to work out how on earth the people
0:04:58 > 0:05:02of this remote place could have spread their
0:05:02 > 0:05:04influence so widely.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Orkney really was a central hub of knowledge in terms of ingenuity,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14engineering, technology.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18But it was the sharing of ideas which was probably most important.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21And they did share that knowledge.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26We know that these ideas were exported to the mainland Britain.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29So there's been a process by which people could quite happily come
0:05:29 > 0:05:31and go between all of the islands.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33You know, they're moving back and forth from mainland Britain
0:05:33 > 0:05:36and they're going back and forth to all of the islands.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39The question now, of course, is how were they exported?
0:05:39 > 0:05:43How did they get from here, across this piece of sea,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46famed for its horrible currents?
0:05:46 > 0:05:48What method did they use?
0:05:50 > 0:05:53To discover how the ancient Orcadians thrived
0:05:53 > 0:05:55and travelled in this tough environment,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58we're going to explore across the archipelago.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00While Shini heads back to the ness,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03I'm on my way to the island of Westray.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09Chris and Doug are heading to the sandy beaches of Stronsay.
0:06:09 > 0:06:14And Andy's mission is to work out the most intriguing problem of all -
0:06:14 > 0:06:16how did they navigate the length and breadth of the seaways
0:06:16 > 0:06:21of Britain, beginning with the treacherous Pentland Firth?
0:06:22 > 0:06:25What I'd like to do is speak to the archaeologists,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27speak to the boat-building experts,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30see if we could figure out the sort of boat they could've used.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32And then, build that boat.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35And then take that boat and see if we could paddle
0:06:35 > 0:06:39it across the Pentland Firth.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42And that is not going to be easy.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53The Pentland Firth is Britain's most dangerous stretch of water.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56When the powerful tide race fights the wind,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59extreme seas can quickly build up.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03It's claimed ten lives in the last ten years alone.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06The ship that was last seen some 48 hours ago
0:07:06 > 0:07:08steaming through the Pentland Firth
0:07:08 > 0:07:10has mysteriously been found upturned
0:07:10 > 0:07:14not far away from where she was last seen.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21Andy needs to find out what kind of seagoing boats the ancient Orcadians
0:07:21 > 0:07:24could have used. But that's no easy task.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27There's no archaeological evidence at all for the boats
0:07:27 > 0:07:30being used here at that time.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34He's meeting up with marine expert Sandra Hendry.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38So by the Neolithic, the period we're interested in...
0:07:38 > 0:07:39Yeah.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42..what sort of boats are we seeing in the archaeological record?
0:07:42 > 0:07:46The only sort of maritime craft we're getting in Europe
0:07:46 > 0:07:48is the log boat.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51So, we're finding log boats in the maritime context.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54You know, that's not the sort of thing I would see myself
0:07:54 > 0:07:56trying to cross the Pentland Firth in.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58No, you're probably looking at the use of log boats
0:07:58 > 0:08:02for maybe coastal movements and smaller distances.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06For the Pentland Firth, the most likely is hide boats,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09where you're looking at them using animal skins
0:08:09 > 0:08:10to create the hull of the vessel
0:08:10 > 0:08:14- and then kind of a wickerwork framework.- OK.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19The oldest surviving boat in Britain is the Dover boat
0:08:19 > 0:08:23from around 1500 BC and nearly 600 miles to the south.
0:08:23 > 0:08:29It's made of timber - a material in short supply in Orkney.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33Scandinavian rock carvings from around the same time appear to show
0:08:33 > 0:08:36vessels made of wicker and animal hide.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40This offers a more likely model for Andy and his team to follow.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45I think it's going to be really interesting to see
0:08:45 > 0:08:47the navigational methods you use,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50how you work with the tidal movements in the Pentland Firth
0:08:50 > 0:08:53and how the boat reacts.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Do you know of anyone who's tried an experiment like this,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59to try and recreate and prove the type of vessel
0:08:59 > 0:09:01that they would have used in the Neolithic?
0:09:01 > 0:09:05Not here across the Pentland Firth, no, this will be a first.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Yeah. So, do you think we stand a chance?
0:09:08 > 0:09:11I wouldn't fancy your chances!
0:09:13 > 0:09:15It's uncharted territory as far as how the guys have got back and
0:09:15 > 0:09:18forth from Orkney to the mainland.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20If we can pull this off,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22then there's genuine knowledge to be gained here
0:09:22 > 0:09:25That will fill that gap in the archaeological record,
0:09:25 > 0:09:27the bit that no-one knows anything about.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35The sea was the highway for the ancient Orcadians.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Not only did they travel to the mainland,
0:09:38 > 0:09:42they also had to go back and forth between the many islands of Orkney.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44I'm on my way to Westray,
0:09:44 > 0:09:48where they're uncovering evidence of a Stone Age suburbia.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54What it will give us is an insight into the day-to-day lives
0:09:54 > 0:09:56of the people, the community,
0:09:56 > 0:10:01that was responsible for designing and then building
0:10:01 > 0:10:03the Ness of Brodgar.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07This site here will give us that look at how they lived
0:10:07 > 0:10:09the other part of their lives.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Unlike the ness, with its grand buildings,
0:10:16 > 0:10:21this was a domestic site where people farmed, fished
0:10:21 > 0:10:23'and lived.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25'Hazel Moore is the dig director.'
0:10:25 > 0:10:28The people here must have obviously
0:10:28 > 0:10:31been strongly connected to the Ness of Brodgar.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34I mean, such a place, it's like the Vatican City or something.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37Communities like this all over Orkney were coming together
0:10:37 > 0:10:40to create a shared sense of identity at somewhere like the ness.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44What kind of life was being lived by the people here?
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Well, I think you had a good life here.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49They were living on a diet of mostly beef and oyster,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51which sounds quite good to me!
0:10:51 > 0:10:53- Really?- Yes.- That's surf and turf! - Yes.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56They had big herds of animals that, you know,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59I think was more than just for subsistence.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01It was for show as well.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07And this is a collection of some of our finest things.
0:11:07 > 0:11:08You do have treasures.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10We've had a lot of whalebone from the site
0:11:10 > 0:11:13and this is just a very small amount of the kinds of things
0:11:13 > 0:11:14that we're finding.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17You can see it's a whale vertebrae that's been hollowed out
0:11:17 > 0:11:20in the centre to make a little vessel.
0:11:20 > 0:11:21It's fairly rough, isn't it?
0:11:21 > 0:11:24It is, it's lost some of its outer surface.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28- Now, that's more recognisable. - Uh-huh.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32So that's some sort of, what is it, an agricultural tool or something?
0:11:32 > 0:11:33It is, I think it's like a mattock, yeah.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35So, there'd be a shaft through there.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Yes. And I think, really, whalebone is great,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39because it's being used instead of wood,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41because there isn't a lot of wood here.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44And yet can be carved easily into the same kinds of objects.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52The waters around Orkney are still a whale paradise,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55thanks to abundant plankton and krill.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07Regular visitors include orca, minke and the vast fin,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10the second-biggest animal on the planet.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14In northern waters, the fin whale reaches 22 metres long
0:12:14 > 0:12:17and weighs in at 60 tonnes.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22Quite a challenge for Stone Age hunters to capture and kill.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26That's why Chris and Doug want to discover
0:12:26 > 0:12:30how the ancient Orcadians got hold of whalebone.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Recent events on the island of Stronsay may offer an answer.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41They've had word from locals of a possible whale washed up on a beach.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50- What's the name of this beach? - This is Housby.- Ah-ha.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53No, no, it is, it's there!
0:12:53 > 0:12:55- Oh, there it is, yeah.- Yeah.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59- Looks like a vertebrae. - That's definitely it, isn't it?
0:12:59 > 0:13:00Go and have a look.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Yeah, that's definitely its backbone.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06Look at the size of that! Look here, ribs.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Oh, aye. Yeah.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12Yeah. Couple of ribs stuck there.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14- Still with lots of flesh on them. - And this one.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17- Yeah.- From a Neolithic perspective,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20this is a valuable piece of fabric, isn't it?
0:13:20 > 0:13:23That could be the bottom of a boat, for example,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25or it could be the roof on a house.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29Or you could carve things from this, knives, needles.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32I love this, it's like a whale anatomy lesson.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36- Look, here.- Oh! It's baleen. - It's baleen.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Yes, look, the place is littered with it.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40- Yeah.- This is fantastic, Doug.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Now this is how the whale feeds, isn't it?
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Used to get used for women's corsets, you know.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47- Yes.- Back in the sort of 1800s or so.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50- Yeah.- And they also used it for springs in buggies,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52things like that. Because, as I say, it's flexible,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54yet also very strong.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58- Yeah.- This was the sort of Neolithic plastic of its day.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02I love that, Neolithic plastic! Superb!
0:14:02 > 0:14:05The thing is, which species?
0:14:05 > 0:14:09Size might give us a clue. I reckon 15 metres.
0:14:09 > 0:14:14Yeah, 15 metres, that would be a medium-sized fin whale or similar.
0:14:14 > 0:14:15Fin whale.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19It must've been a real bonanza when these things came ashore.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21I don't think they actually would hunt them,
0:14:21 > 0:14:25they certainly wouldn't hunt these, they're way, way too fast.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Whale strandings could have provided the ancient Orcadians
0:14:29 > 0:14:32with an invaluable resource.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36But sometimes a harder material was needed.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38This summer at the ness, the archaeologists
0:14:38 > 0:14:43have already discovered several significant stone artefacts.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50Including a broken mace head, a sort of ceremonial axe.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54Shini is keen to find out how they created objects like this.
0:14:54 > 0:14:59Archaeologist Chris Gee specialises in stone working.
0:14:59 > 0:15:00- OK, shall I have a go?- Yeah.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03So you can do some of these bits
0:15:03 > 0:15:06and sometimes the best way is to...
0:15:06 > 0:15:10- So it's just like sandpaper?- Yes.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12And the good thing about sandstone in Orkney
0:15:12 > 0:15:14is that you get different grades.
0:15:14 > 0:15:19And you can move onto this and then you can go on to even finer sands.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25Gosh, I can really see how they were able to achieve those fine finishes.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Yeah, that's right. And you see that on the stone tools,
0:15:28 > 0:15:30obviously, at the Ness of Brodgar.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33That's a mace head that I made earlier.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35And we're still working on it.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38How on earth did you get this perfect circle?
0:15:38 > 0:15:41What I've used to do that hole is a bow drill.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45- So wood is used to create these circles in a stone?- Yeah.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48I have experimented in the past with
0:15:48 > 0:15:52breaking up some quartz or some flint.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56And then if you press the flint into the end of the drillbit,
0:15:56 > 0:16:01it sets in it and then it'll cut through it quite fast.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Gosh.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08'We, basically, in a short space of time, managed to'
0:16:08 > 0:16:11transform a lump of unworkable material
0:16:11 > 0:16:16into something that had smooth edges and an artistic feel to it.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Just by using really simple techniques
0:16:19 > 0:16:21and sticks and stones, essentially.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28It's an experiment that shows what these people could achieve
0:16:28 > 0:16:30with simple technology.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Andy's mission is to work out how Neolithic materials
0:16:33 > 0:16:37and techniques could be used to create a much more complex object,
0:16:37 > 0:16:39like a boat.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Patrick McGlinchey is an expert in prehistoric craft.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48- Patrick.- Andrew, how are you? Nice to meet you.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Also joining the team are some local seafaring volunteers.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55So the idea is that you guys build this boat,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58partly under your direction, using the knowledge you've got
0:16:58 > 0:17:00from ancient boat-building techniques.
0:17:00 > 0:17:06Once we've built this boat, try and paddle it across the Pentland Firth.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08I think you should see a psychiatrist!
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Well, I like the word "trying"!
0:17:12 > 0:17:14This is going to be a big build.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16So what sort of good boat-building materials
0:17:16 > 0:17:19would they have had to hand?
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Essentially anything that was flexible,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23that we could put a bend in.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25That essentially is going to give you the shape.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28And of course the strength comes from weaving.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31And this is willow. But everybody would have built a boat differently.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34There was no set way, and every one that floated was the right way,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36if you like.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39What other sort of resource would they have used to build it?
0:17:39 > 0:17:40We're getting a large skin.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43We're also getting fat for sealing the skin.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45We're getting the bones to make the tools,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47we're getting the sinew to make the bindings and so on.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51So the cow itself contains a lot of natural resources.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54So, essentially we're going to build a seaworthy boat
0:17:54 > 0:17:56out of trees and cows?
0:18:01 > 0:18:04We're going to pull out from the middle
0:18:04 > 0:18:06- and see what kind of shape we're getting.- OK.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- Punch one in there, Andy.- There?
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Out a bit, Andy, that way a bit, please.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- More?- I would say that's not bad.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Now, that's the voice of experience!
0:18:18 > 0:18:21How many of these have you built, Davey?
0:18:21 > 0:18:23DAVEY CLEARS THROAT
0:18:27 > 0:18:30What we've got here at the moment, the boat is actually upside down.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34- Of course.- So this, the gunwale, is that wall at the top.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37- The sides.- Yeah. - Just the sides.- The two sides.- Yeah.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40So, it's what's holding the top of the boat together
0:18:40 > 0:18:43and then, eventually, we'll bend these over and that...
0:18:43 > 0:18:46they tie them together and that's what creates the bottom of the boat.
0:18:46 > 0:18:47Yeah, these are partners.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50These will be bent over together as a shape, we'll call them the ribs,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52if you like. When they're bent to the right shape,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55they'll slot down into the weave and these will lock together.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59I can see how the boat's going to come together and be built,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01but I just... You know, to deal with the power
0:19:01 > 0:19:04of the Pentland Firth is another matter.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Well, what you need, Andy, is faith.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Back at the Ness of Brodgar,
0:19:12 > 0:19:16work is concentrating on the excavation of structure ten.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Archaeologist Dr Mike Copper is just preparing
0:19:21 > 0:19:23to lift the first of the floor slabs.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29He's hoping there might be something intriguing hidden beneath it.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33Oh, I'm always excited about the prospects of lifting slabs,
0:19:33 > 0:19:36we've had interesting things come out
0:19:36 > 0:19:39from underneath them before, yeah. Yeah. Absolutely.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45OK. OK, with care.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Oh-ho-ho! Oh, my goodness!
0:19:50 > 0:19:52That is cattle bone.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56There are more slabs to lift.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05- Wow! - HE LAUGHS
0:20:09 > 0:20:13Yeah, I need a cup of tea now, definitely.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17That...oh...that's pretty special. Wow. Hm.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Jasper, would you mind telling Nick
0:20:21 > 0:20:24- we've got a load more bone down here.- Certainly.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Very, very intriguing.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32These cattle bones are unlikely to be here by accident.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36Around 5,000 years ago, someone carefully placed them
0:20:36 > 0:20:39underneath one of the four cornered buttresses,
0:20:39 > 0:20:40inside structure ten.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46Even to this day, cattle are central to the way of life here.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49We know this all began with the people of ancient Orkney
0:20:49 > 0:20:51who used them for food and clothes.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Perhaps they also revered them.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59It's possible these cattle bones were ritual offerings
0:20:59 > 0:21:04made to imbue the structure with some mystical power.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Dig director Nick Card has come to take a look.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13- So what have we got, Mike? - OK. We have...
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Oh, my goodness!
0:21:16 > 0:21:19It's, yeah.... It's quite spectacular.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23I think from now on, this area is basically, as you've been doing,
0:21:23 > 0:21:27almost out of bounds, so we'll have to just work in from the edges.
0:21:27 > 0:21:33Just in case there's yet more underneath these other flags.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37I'd be very surprised if there wasn't more bone
0:21:37 > 0:21:41down there, absolutely. The deposit looks very extensive, so, yes,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43I think there's probably more to come.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51Back on Stronsay, Chris is on the hunt for information
0:21:51 > 0:21:55about how the ancient Orcadians got hold of whalebone.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58He wants to find out the number and scale
0:21:58 > 0:22:01of whale strandings in recent times,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Which might shed light on how often
0:22:03 > 0:22:05this could have happened in the past.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07- Hello.- Hello, Jean.- Hello.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11In 1950, Jean Stevenson
0:22:11 > 0:22:15witnessed a whole pod of pilot whales washed up on the beach.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Well, that's a photograph. That gives you an idea...
0:22:21 > 0:22:25- Look, yeah.- ..just how many there were.- 96, yeah.
0:22:25 > 0:22:31They were groaning and blowing and they were obviously in distress.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Some of the smaller ones, the men tried to put them out
0:22:35 > 0:22:39into the sea again and they stayed for about 20 minutes, maybe.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42And then they just came back in again.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45So there was really nothing they could do to help them.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54These animals, they rely on their echolocation
0:22:54 > 0:22:56for close-to-shore navigation
0:22:56 > 0:23:00and this shallow, sloping sandy beach is just the sort of place
0:23:00 > 0:23:02where you don't get a good bounce...
0:23:02 > 0:23:05- Aye.- ..off rocks or cliffs or things like that.- Yeah.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08And so it's quite possible that they just got a bit confused coming into
0:23:08 > 0:23:11this bay, and ended up coming onto the beach.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15These pods are very strongly based on the mother,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19and if she gets it wrong, all the others will simply follow her.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23So, if she's old or sick or debilitated or confused,
0:23:23 > 0:23:27it's that herd mentality.
0:23:27 > 0:23:28Exactly.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34On average, ten whales or dolphins end up stranded
0:23:34 > 0:23:37on the shores of Orkney every year.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40But long before commercial hunting,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43the picture would have been even more dramatic.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49In those days, there would have been an enormously larger number
0:23:49 > 0:23:51of whales, so there could have been
0:23:51 > 0:23:54a chance that there would have been a lot more stranded.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58And all of a sudden you've got tonnes of meat lying on the beach.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01So there's going to be a big barbecue bonanza.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04But then it's not just the meat, I mean, all of the bones.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08- Exactly. I've got a small specimen here.- You've been making some soup.
0:24:08 > 0:24:09It's like a propeller.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13I mean, imagine how many needles you could make from that.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15And then, of course, you've got the shoreline itself,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18full of crustaceans and shellfish, seaweed,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21which would have been rich beyond our imagination.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24People in Neolithic times had such an extensive knowledge
0:24:24 > 0:24:26of everything they did.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29I tried to make a mace this morning.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30That's a thing of wonder. I love that.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33I love how you can already see the finished object
0:24:33 > 0:24:37emerging from that piece.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39It seems that they reached a point where their understanding
0:24:39 > 0:24:43of their environment and their understanding of the resources
0:24:43 > 0:24:46that were available to them
0:24:46 > 0:24:51enabled them to bring together a civilisation that worked
0:24:51 > 0:24:52on every level.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58The ancient Orcadians were people of plenty.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01They had the natural resources and the technological know-how
0:25:01 > 0:25:04to help their culture thrive.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07But there is still much to find out.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10How did they cross the raging seas?
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Argh, this weighs a tonne!
0:25:12 > 0:25:14And what might they have believed?
0:25:19 > 0:25:23At the ness, all eyes are on structure ten -
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Mike is about to lift another slab.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Well, we're looking at the second part of a fractured slab
0:25:32 > 0:25:35that was overlying the large cattle bones
0:25:35 > 0:25:37that we can see just down here.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40If there's any bone adhering to the base of it we'll have two flip it
0:25:40 > 0:25:43over, move it that way, and put it down.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47OK? Right. Are we ready?
0:25:47 > 0:25:48OK. Let's have a look.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51I'll pull it up that way. Careful, careful.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Oh!
0:25:55 > 0:25:59This is... That looks remarkably like bone.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03That could just be the tip of the iceberg,
0:26:03 > 0:26:05poking above the surface of the ocean.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10A spray of water reveals it is another bone,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13but this one isn't from a cow.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14Has that helped?
0:26:16 > 0:26:19I have to admit, it does actually look human.
0:26:19 > 0:26:24But I wouldn't want to commit myself at this stage, really,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27but if it were to be human, that would be fascinating,
0:26:27 > 0:26:29particularly as it's in with so much cattle bone.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35But before Mike can investigate the remarkable find further...
0:26:37 > 0:26:40..the fickle Orkney weather intervenes.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45It looks like the weather's closing in,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48so we're just getting the site ready,
0:26:48 > 0:26:54because I think it is going to start heaving down with rain.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Bye-bye, site, for the afternoon.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03We'll be back tomorrow morning when it will be bright and sunny
0:27:03 > 0:27:06and subtropical temperatures.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07So we hope.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Every cloud has a silver lining.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22The storm reveals something surprising
0:27:22 > 0:27:25to art expert Antonia Thomas.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31It was all muddy, and I just saw the top of it there
0:27:31 > 0:27:33and realised it went across the grain,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35but these were full of mud.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40Some of this stonework had become washed by the recent rains,
0:27:40 > 0:27:44and there it was, this new piece of Neolithic art.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Yeah, fantastic.
0:27:47 > 0:27:52To have this sort of arcing carved in parallel lines,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55surrounding, essentially,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59a kind of rosette pattern with little drilled cupolae
0:27:59 > 0:28:01is really unusual.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03We've not got anything like that on site.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Shini is catching up with Antonia to find out more
0:28:08 > 0:28:11about the art found at the ness
0:28:11 > 0:28:14and, especially, the astonishing objects
0:28:14 > 0:28:16recovered from structure ten.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Oh, are these special finds?
0:28:18 > 0:28:20- There is.- What I've got here are some of the more
0:28:20 > 0:28:23interesting objects - specifically, ones with decoration.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26This is quite a large stone,
0:28:26 > 0:28:30it actually weighs about 35, 40 kilos, so it's quite a beast.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Do these shapes symbolise anything?
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Well, the kind of carvings we get,
0:28:36 > 0:28:38the decoration we get in Orkney
0:28:38 > 0:28:42is almost entirely these sort of geometric, linear abstract forms.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47We don't get any figurative carvings of people or animals, for example,
0:28:47 > 0:28:48like you do in other places.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54They've found over 700 examples of decorated stone
0:28:54 > 0:28:57at the Ness of Brodgar.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59One of the rarest is this carved stone ball,
0:28:59 > 0:29:02discovered a few years ago beneath structure ten.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05Some archaeologists go their whole life kind of dreaming of finding
0:29:05 > 0:29:09a carved stone ball - it's one of those sort of finds.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12- Was it you that found it?- Nope. It wasn't me, I've never found one.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14I'd quite like to.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17I don't know, maybe as an engineer, I feel like it can't just be art.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20There must have been a function to this.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22It seems likely that they were kind of a special
0:29:22 > 0:29:24kind of ritual artefact that was
0:29:24 > 0:29:26kind of used, perhaps, in ceremonies.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28They certainly show a very keen interest in geometry.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31If you look at the skill and how they're made,
0:29:31 > 0:29:35that sort of carving around is quite sophisticated.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Carved stone balls like this have been found across Scotland
0:29:41 > 0:29:46and the north of England and may be part of the stone circle culture
0:29:46 > 0:29:49which swept down Britain around 3000 BC.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Including, of course, the most famous stone circle
0:29:52 > 0:29:54of them all, Stonehenge.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59This culture seems to have emanated from Orkney,
0:29:59 > 0:30:02with the ness at its heart.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06A culture transmitted by people travelling the seaways of Britain.
0:30:14 > 0:30:15- Ready?- Yes.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20After a week of hard graft, Patrick and the volunteers
0:30:20 > 0:30:24have completed the willow frame of their Neolithic boat.
0:30:24 > 0:30:29I'll tell you what, that looks so much stronger
0:30:29 > 0:30:30than I thought it would.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34It should be like a tight drum, but it should have some flex in it.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37What I would prefer not to happen is, when I'm halfway across
0:30:37 > 0:30:40the Pentland Firth, it starts shaking apart.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43It's not going to shake apart. It's going to flex.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46You're going to feel the motion of the water underneath you,
0:30:46 > 0:30:48but it's not going to break.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53It's clear that the ancient Orcadians
0:30:53 > 0:30:58would have had a plentiful supply of cowhide.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02So that's what the team used to cover the frame.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06- These are damp.- Yeah, they stretch better if they're damp.
0:31:06 > 0:31:07OK.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Good old-fashioned beef dripping.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15It's a good smell.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19The cattle fat is used to waterproof the hide and the seams.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21If that's not watertight, nothing will be.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27For apprentice Jeff Mackie, building the boat is his way
0:31:27 > 0:31:31of finding out more about his Orcadian roots.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35This is telling the story of how our ancestors travelled
0:31:35 > 0:31:38from Orkney to the mainland.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41It's our history. It's an important part
0:31:41 > 0:31:43of how we became what we are today.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50Making the boat isn't enough by itself, though,
0:31:50 > 0:31:53we also need to understand the tides and sea routes
0:31:53 > 0:31:57the ancient Orcadians had to tackle.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59No-one knows this stretch of sea better than the lifeboat crew
0:31:59 > 0:32:01who patrol it.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07Coxswain Angus Budge takes Shini out to the middle of the Pentland Firth.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14So, if I shut the engines down right now,
0:32:14 > 0:32:16could we measure how much we drift?
0:32:18 > 0:32:22So, what on this screen tells us that we are drifting,
0:32:22 > 0:32:26- and at what speed? - Speed overground tells us that.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30Speed overground, SOG. 4.9 knots, 5.2 knots.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33So is that how fast the tide is pushing us, then?
0:32:33 > 0:32:35That's correct, yes.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40One knot is slightly over a mile an hour,
0:32:40 > 0:32:43currents this fast will push a boat about a mile off course
0:32:43 > 0:32:46every ten minutes.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49At times, the tidal flow can hit over ten knots.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53The strongest tides anywhere in Britain.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56So what we're drifting in now is what we're likely to encounter
0:32:56 > 0:32:59- in our Neolithic boat.- Yeah.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05But they could encounter something even worse.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10In parts of the firth, the tide race creates violent turbulence.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14- That is amazing. - There's a whirlpool there.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16So what exactly is happening here?
0:33:16 > 0:33:20Cos there seems to be a real sort of conflict of water flow.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23What's happening is the Atlantic Ocean is trying to make its way
0:33:23 > 0:33:26towards the North Sea. So on one side we have tide
0:33:26 > 0:33:30that is moving east, and on the opposite side,
0:33:30 > 0:33:33on the inside of this turbulence, the tide is actually moving west.
0:33:33 > 0:33:38So a huge volume of water is being squeezed into a tiny space,
0:33:38 > 0:33:42and that tiny space is caused by islands on each side, kind of,
0:33:42 > 0:33:46- constricting the flow, essentially. - Yeah.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50As the tidal race surges through the firth,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53the island of Stroma disrupts the flow.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Areas of chaotic, deadly turbulence form at the island's tip.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01Sailors have long called it the Swelkie.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08- So is this Swelkie? - Yeah, we're in the Swelkie.
0:34:08 > 0:34:13I believe that the Norse translation of the name means swallower.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15Gosh, that doesn't sound too promising!
0:34:15 > 0:34:19There are something like five shipwrecks
0:34:19 > 0:34:22within 200 metres of where we are.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25That's how bad it is.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29The Swelkie varies in violence depending on the phase of the tides.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33Every two weeks the tides swing between the gentle, neap tides,
0:34:33 > 0:34:36and the more powerful spring tides.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39This change is determined by the waxing and waning of the moon,
0:34:39 > 0:34:42and it's this that the ancient Orcadians
0:34:42 > 0:34:47are likely to have used to predict when it was safe to cross.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58Back at the ness, the archaeologists are now ready, carefully,
0:34:58 > 0:35:04to remove the mystery bone from the clay beneath structure ten.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07My thoughts are that it is human.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11There is little doubt in my mind, having excavated various skeletons
0:35:11 > 0:35:15before in the past, that it is a human humerus.
0:35:18 > 0:35:23Only a few human bones have ever been discovered at the ness.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26And none of them in such a significant location.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33The bone, from an arm, is around 5,000 years old,
0:35:33 > 0:35:35and extremely fragile.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39It's sitting on clay and that means that if we try and lift it,
0:35:39 > 0:35:41the clay may actually stick to the bone
0:35:41 > 0:35:43and the bone will just break in half.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46So what we've got to do is we've got to ensure there's absolutely nothing
0:35:46 > 0:35:49holding it down and then when we lift it,
0:35:49 > 0:35:51it should lift in one piece.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53Oh, careful, careful.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56Yeah, wait a minute, though, it's not free yet.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00This end needs dealing with.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03- Let's try and get hands underneath. - Hold it underneath, the middle part.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05There we go, right, gently, gently.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10Lovely. OK then.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17Once cleaned and dried, the bone can be examined in detail,
0:36:17 > 0:36:22along with the cattle bones discovered earlier.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24So, this was found as a kind of foundation deposit,
0:36:24 > 0:36:27right underneath this buttress.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31- A bone.- Cattle. Very large cattle.
0:36:31 > 0:36:36And in this particular area there was three articulated leg bones.
0:36:36 > 0:36:41So articulated, so they went in with meat still on them?
0:36:41 > 0:36:44Yes, at least the sinews holding them together,
0:36:44 > 0:36:47but I would expect that these were still enfleshed.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49So that was buried beside, at the same time as this?
0:36:49 > 0:36:52Right in the midst of all these cattle bone, but very odd,
0:36:52 > 0:36:54just a single human bone.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58This isn't human sacrifice, this isn't...
0:36:58 > 0:37:01hasn't been butchered like the cattle bones?
0:37:01 > 0:37:04No, there's no evidence that this has been butchered.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07This seems to have been somebody who was dead already,
0:37:07 > 0:37:09and the bones were...
0:37:09 > 0:37:11became disarticulated
0:37:11 > 0:37:13and then this particular bone selected to be placed
0:37:13 > 0:37:16- next to the cattle bone. - It's great, isn't it?
0:37:16 > 0:37:18I mean, it's unintentional on the part of the people
0:37:18 > 0:37:22that put it on the ground, but they are sending us, you know, a message,
0:37:22 > 0:37:26they're sending us information from their present to our present.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30Indeed. This is one of the kind of gifts of archaeology.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34These kind of unexpected deposits can sometimes shed a whole lot more
0:37:34 > 0:37:38light on various aspects of life 5,000 years ago.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46Similar discoveries of human and animal bones together
0:37:46 > 0:37:49have been made elsewhere in Orkney.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54The more examples we can find, the more situations
0:37:54 > 0:37:57in which we come across human remains and animal remains
0:37:57 > 0:37:59being put deliberately together,
0:37:59 > 0:38:04then the better the chance we have of working out what's going on.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06But it's complicated.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09It is fundamentally about trying to get inside the mind
0:38:09 > 0:38:12of the Neolithic human being.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19The most spectacular discovery in Orkney of human and animal bones
0:38:19 > 0:38:24combined was made on the island of South Ronaldsay 50 years ago.
0:38:24 > 0:38:29Farmer Ronnie Simison stumbled across a Neolithic tomb containing
0:38:29 > 0:38:33thousands of human bones and alongside the bones of the people,
0:38:33 > 0:38:37he discovered the remains of scores of sea eagles.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44The sea eagle is the largest bird of prey in Britain
0:38:44 > 0:38:48and can still be seen around the cliffs of Orkney today.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52Perhaps the Tomb of the Eagles can help shed light on the mysterious
0:38:52 > 0:38:56practices of the ancient Orcadians.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59You can see why they chose it for a burial place.
0:38:59 > 0:39:00- Aha.- Magnificent...
0:39:00 > 0:39:03'Ronnie's daughter, Kathleen, is now the keeper of the tomb.'
0:39:03 > 0:39:06Right, I'm guessing I lie on my back, cos I can see a rope.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09You've got a choice, some people do it on their front,
0:39:09 > 0:39:10you can do it on your back, if you like.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13- OK.- Watch your head, that's it.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16- Oh, yes.- Pull on the rope, there you go.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22Oh, yes. Oh, I love it.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24That's amazing.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33What exactly did your dad see?
0:39:33 > 0:39:38There was just a dark space inside, so he got a cigarette lighter
0:39:38 > 0:39:40and put that in and lit it,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43- and there were between 20 and 30 skulls smiling back at him.- Wow.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47He was the first person to put light in there for thousands of years.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51- Yeah.- How many human bones did he find in here?
0:39:51 > 0:39:54There were 16,000 human bones.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57- 16,000 human bones?!- Yeah.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00So how many individuals does that represent?
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Well, there are about 85 skulls,
0:40:02 > 0:40:06but I believe there's about 114 jawbones,
0:40:06 > 0:40:08and there'll be a few more than that.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10- So a lot of the bones were broken up?- A lot of people.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14- Yes.- Tell me the story of the eagle bones, then.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17There were 70 talons found in the tomb,
0:40:17 > 0:40:21one man had five buried with him, another person had seven.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23Another had 15.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26You get a real sense, that really gives you the sea eagle,
0:40:26 > 0:40:28doesn't it, when you see that?
0:40:28 > 0:40:30It's possibly a status symbol.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34Are all the bones and all the talons from sea eagles...
0:40:34 > 0:40:36- Yes.- ..all one species?- Yes.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39But different tombs in Orkney,
0:40:39 > 0:40:41some of them appear to have more than one bird or animal
0:40:41 > 0:40:43than any other.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47So it's possibly a totem, an emblem, as well.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52'There is debate about when and how the sea eagle bones
0:40:52 > 0:40:54'entered the tomb.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57'But it could be that they were carefully placed
0:40:57 > 0:40:59'alongside the human skeletons.'
0:41:01 > 0:41:03It is fascinating having the opportunity to speculate
0:41:03 > 0:41:05about what the sea eagles meant to the people
0:41:05 > 0:41:08who took the trouble to incorporate their bones
0:41:08 > 0:41:11in amongst the human remains at the tomb.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13As they flew in the sky, they were guardians
0:41:13 > 0:41:17for what the ancestors had been and who they had represented.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19Now, was something similar happening at the ness?
0:41:19 > 0:41:22Was it the case there that there was also a belief
0:41:22 > 0:41:26or an understanding of a symbiotic relationship
0:41:26 > 0:41:31between the human beings and the cattle that they took care of?
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Was it some kind of coming together of everything
0:41:33 > 0:41:35that was important about life?
0:41:45 > 0:41:48The Neolithic boat is nearly finished.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52As far as possible, the team have used materials and techniques
0:41:52 > 0:41:55the ancient Orcadians were known to have.
0:41:55 > 0:42:00Marine archaeologist Sandra Hendry has come to inspect it.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04- In you go.- Oh, wow!
0:42:04 > 0:42:06This is the boat, which will hopefully take us across
0:42:06 > 0:42:10- the Pentland Firth. - That is amazing!
0:42:10 > 0:42:12And what did you use for the skin of the vessel?
0:42:12 > 0:42:14- It's cow. Cowhide.- Wow.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18And then covered in lard, basically.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21Animal fat...to waterproof it.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23Really small paddles as well.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27Massive blades will give you more power per stroke,
0:42:27 > 0:42:29but it's a huge amount of effort to use them,
0:42:29 > 0:42:31so it's a balance between the power,
0:42:31 > 0:42:34but not completely knackering yourself in the first two minutes.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37- But, yeah... - This is really impressive.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39So, is this the sort of thing they would have had
0:42:39 > 0:42:41in the Neolithic?
0:42:41 > 0:42:44Yeah, this is the kind of craft we're probably looking at them using
0:42:44 > 0:42:46to cross the Pentland Firth.
0:42:46 > 0:42:51You know, the kind of internal wickerwork frame
0:42:51 > 0:42:53and the hides.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55You've a nice double-ended vessel.
0:42:55 > 0:43:00You have a rudder in place.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03I think that you're doing pretty well with what you've built here.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06- OK.- Yeah. I still don't particularly fancy your chances,
0:43:06 > 0:43:09just cos it's such a dangerous body of water.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12But...best of luck.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18All the boat needs now is a crew.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20Five members of the Orkney Rowing Club
0:43:20 > 0:43:23and apprentice boat builder Jeff have volunteered
0:43:23 > 0:43:27to make the crossing along with Andy.
0:43:27 > 0:43:32- This is it. This is it. - Another boat for you to inspect.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35I've never seen a canoe made out of cow before, so...
0:43:35 > 0:43:40But it's... Yeah, the work on the inside here is amazing.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42Davey is the club's skipper.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44Yeah, it's impressive. Yeah.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48Looking forward to get her in the water and give it a shot.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51Audrey is the cox who will steer.
0:43:51 > 0:43:55I think she looks quite sturdy.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00But, yeah, I'm just intrigued if she's going to be too light.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04Andy's got a boat and a crew.
0:44:04 > 0:44:08But Shini's research is now also crucial.
0:44:08 > 0:44:13The precise route, tides, weather and timing
0:44:13 > 0:44:15will all play an important role.
0:44:15 > 0:44:19Get any one factor wrong and the voyage could founder.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22So what did the lifeboat guys say?
0:44:22 > 0:44:25Well, first of all, the lifeboatmen really suggested
0:44:25 > 0:44:28that we shouldn't do this, cos it's so dangerous. Very treacherous.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31- OK.- But they said if we were going to attempt it,
0:44:31 > 0:44:36we should start leaving the bay at 8am.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39So, ideally what you want to do is just sail directly down south
0:44:39 > 0:44:41to the mainland.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44But it's obviously not going to work out that way,
0:44:44 > 0:44:47because you've got tides going from west to east.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50So you're going to have to do a journey
0:44:50 > 0:44:52that is pointing in the opposite direction,
0:44:52 > 0:44:55so that you're drifting south that way.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59The lifeboatmen really suggested that we stay away from this area,
0:44:59 > 0:45:04it's notoriously dangerous, and having been out on the lifeboat,
0:45:04 > 0:45:07I saw whirlpools being formed out of nothing and then dissipating.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11I mean, it's just really kind of unpredictable out there.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17Andy and the crew plan their journey for just after the less powerful
0:45:17 > 0:45:21neap tide that only occurs twice every month.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24But even this tide creates powerful currents,
0:45:24 > 0:45:25and once they leave the bay,
0:45:25 > 0:45:29they'll have to fight hard to avoid being pushed east
0:45:29 > 0:45:32into the treacherous Swelkie.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35Knowledge of tides was just one consideration
0:45:35 > 0:45:39ancient Orcadians would have to make every time they set out to sea.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43Now, this doesn't take into account weather.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45No. Back in Neolithic times, you know,
0:45:45 > 0:45:48they would never risk this crossing in anything but ideal conditions.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50It's going to be affected by the wind a huge amount.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52So, what I'm hoping for is very,
0:45:52 > 0:45:55very light winds - or no wind at all would be nice.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03Crew and boat are heading to the launch point,
0:46:03 > 0:46:08a sheltered bay on the island of Hoy.
0:46:08 > 0:46:09Are we good?
0:46:12 > 0:46:14Tomorrow morning, it's key that we get out of this bay
0:46:14 > 0:46:18at exactly the right time to get the tide and the right conditions.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21So what we don't want to be, is tomorrow morning, at that moment,
0:46:21 > 0:46:23messing around trying to sort the boat out.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25So everything's got to be perfect tonight,
0:46:25 > 0:46:27before we go to bed.
0:46:30 > 0:46:35The 16,000 human bones discovered in the Tomb of the Eagles
0:46:35 > 0:46:40are now kept at The Orkney Museum in Kirkwall.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43It's a treasure trove of evidence that might help shed light
0:46:43 > 0:46:48on the human bone found at the ness.
0:46:48 > 0:46:52Forensic archaeologist Dave Lawrence has examined all of the bones,
0:46:52 > 0:46:55and has come to some startling conclusions
0:46:55 > 0:46:57about life in Neolithic Orkney.
0:47:00 > 0:47:02It was not in any way peaceful.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05Certainly the individuals at the Tomb of the Eagles
0:47:05 > 0:47:07suffered violence, some of them fatally.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10Possibly up to 40% or 50% of them did,
0:47:10 > 0:47:13which is higher than has been estimated anywhere else.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15This is a prime example.
0:47:15 > 0:47:18This is a young female individual,
0:47:18 > 0:47:24this poor woman was hit on the side of the head, just here,
0:47:24 > 0:47:27this indentation is a healed depressed fracture.
0:47:27 > 0:47:29- Goodness.- Quite long.
0:47:29 > 0:47:32This is another healed depressed fracture.
0:47:32 > 0:47:36So during the course of her life, she has been attacked or beaten...
0:47:36 > 0:47:41Either on several occasions or on one occasion, quite severely.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44But she survived? She didn't die of these wounds?
0:47:44 > 0:47:47She survived that and she's probably lived on to a decent age.
0:47:47 > 0:47:51And you say getting on for half of the people in that tomb
0:47:51 > 0:47:54had suffered some kind of violence?
0:47:54 > 0:47:56This is almost certainly interpersonal violence,
0:47:56 > 0:47:59on quite a large scale.
0:47:59 > 0:48:04As well as violence, what else is featuring on the skeletons,
0:48:04 > 0:48:07on the bones that you're getting out of the tomb?
0:48:07 > 0:48:09We see quite a lot of osteoarthritis,
0:48:09 > 0:48:12and that's very widespread in the Neolithic. It's a hard life.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14They do a lot of physical labour.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16So the Tomb of the Eagles is a collection of people
0:48:16 > 0:48:20damaged by violence or damaged by disease,
0:48:20 > 0:48:23and when they died, there was a decision made to keep them,
0:48:23 > 0:48:26because they had been oddities in life?
0:48:26 > 0:48:30I think so. I think it's actually a little bit more than that.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32If you don't understand what is causing someone's disease,
0:48:32 > 0:48:36you might think they've been touched by something supernatural.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40And one of the things we see in some societies worldwide is that people
0:48:40 > 0:48:43who are touched by the supernatural might be in contact with the
0:48:43 > 0:48:47supernatural and might even be able to control the supernatural.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50And it might explain why they were selected to go into the tombs.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57The Tomb of the Eagles on the Ness of Brodgar would have had very
0:48:57 > 0:49:01different roles in the life of Neolithic Orkney.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04But both sites have a fascinating combination
0:49:04 > 0:49:06of animal and human remains.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09It seems likely that the animal bones
0:49:09 > 0:49:12were of creatures they revered and that the human bones
0:49:12 > 0:49:17were almost certainly also of some spiritual significance.
0:49:17 > 0:49:22Perhaps, that helps us to understand the human bone incorporated
0:49:22 > 0:49:26into that enigmatic temple structure at the ness.
0:49:26 > 0:49:31No doubt, surely, that human bone came from an individual
0:49:31 > 0:49:36who was revered by the people who built the temple at the ness.
0:49:36 > 0:49:41No doubt it wasn't just some random piece of human anatomy.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44It was a bone from someone that they remembered, perhaps somebody
0:49:44 > 0:49:48whose life, whose existence, had actually made that whole site,
0:49:48 > 0:49:52the Ness of Brodgar significant and memorable in the first place.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58We are inching closer to an understanding of the practice
0:49:58 > 0:50:02and beliefs of the ancient Orcadians.
0:50:02 > 0:50:06But it seems certain that the ness was at the centre of an intricate
0:50:06 > 0:50:09belief system that bound their culture together,
0:50:09 > 0:50:14a culture they took with them across the seas to the mainland.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23The morning of the voyage, unusually for Orkney,
0:50:23 > 0:50:26all looks calm.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29But crossing six-and-a-half miles of the Pentland Firth
0:50:29 > 0:50:32is unlikely to be so tranquil.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35There's not much wind.
0:50:36 > 0:50:40- Confident?- Um...
0:50:40 > 0:50:42We'll definitely make some progress.
0:50:42 > 0:50:47Whether we can actually make landfall or not, I don't know.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50The whole thing's experimental, so, you know,
0:50:50 > 0:50:53success or failure, we'll learn something.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58We all know, you know, what the water here can do
0:50:58 > 0:51:00and the dangers that it has there.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03You know, it looks beautiful and pretty on a morning like this,
0:51:03 > 0:51:06but, yeah, you know, you don't mess about on it, at all.
0:51:07 > 0:51:12You have to respect the sea, because the sea takes no prisoners.
0:51:16 > 0:51:20OK, five minutes. Guys, do your last-minute checks.
0:51:20 > 0:51:22Make sure everything's in the boat.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25It's very deceptive right now, because it's so calm
0:51:25 > 0:51:29and so beautiful, but as soon as they make a right-hand turn
0:51:29 > 0:51:32they're straight into the Pentland Firth.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35And that's when the trial begins,
0:51:35 > 0:51:39because those tides are going to be really strong out there.
0:51:39 > 0:51:44It just goes to show what people in Neolithic times had to deal with.
0:51:44 > 0:51:49OK, guys, let's head off and see what this does.
0:51:49 > 0:51:51- Come on.- Good luck, guys.
0:51:55 > 0:51:57We're off!
0:51:58 > 0:52:03So, best-case scenario, they make it to land in however long it takes,
0:52:03 > 0:52:06you know, it could be eight hours, could be less, could be more.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09Worst-case scenario, I don't even want to think about it.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18HORN BLARES
0:52:21 > 0:52:24I don't know if that means good luck or turn back.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26"Turn back now, you fools!"
0:52:39 > 0:52:43If I look down, I can see the water line through the bottom of the boat
0:52:43 > 0:52:49and it's...it's a funny thing that the only thing between us
0:52:49 > 0:52:52and the meeting place of the Atlantic and the North Sea
0:52:52 > 0:52:54is a bit of cow skin.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57It's proved to be absolutely watertight.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03So far, the boat is holding its own,
0:53:03 > 0:53:07but the powerful tide race is now at its peak.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11Running at over 8mph, it's driving the boat east all
0:53:11 > 0:53:15- the time.- So they need to aim for that headland over there,
0:53:15 > 0:53:17cos that will keep them in a south-westerly direction.
0:53:17 > 0:53:20So it's crucial that they do that,
0:53:20 > 0:53:24cos otherwise the flood tide is just going to keep them moving east,
0:53:24 > 0:53:27and that is not a good thing.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30It's not a good thing, because to the east
0:53:30 > 0:53:32are the whirlpools of the Swelkie.
0:53:32 > 0:53:36And despite their best efforts, the tide is pushing the boat
0:53:36 > 0:53:38inexorably towards it.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43Audrey, on the rudder, must keep them on a safe course,
0:53:43 > 0:53:48until the tide turns in a couple of hours.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51You can imagine the work that Audrey's doing just to keep the boat
0:53:51 > 0:53:54straight, she's having to use her whole body weight
0:53:54 > 0:53:56to counteract the thick tide.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58Pushing the paddles and everything.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01So, good on her, it's hard work for her too.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03If nothing else, we've learnt that having a tiller,
0:54:03 > 0:54:05being able to steer this boat, is essential
0:54:05 > 0:54:07if you want to get across the Pentland Firth.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10The Neolithic seafarers must have had boats with tillers.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18The wind's picked up and the sea's picked up, it's much, much choppier.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21And that just makes it much, much harder.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25Out in the open sea, it's far more challenging.
0:54:25 > 0:54:30For two hours they've been paddling a relentless 60 strokes a minute.
0:54:30 > 0:54:34But they're still less than halfway.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38- What's that, Bruce? - MUMBLING
0:54:38 > 0:54:41There's a few shipwrecks around here.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43Probably plenty of guys went down trying to do it in one of these.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46Come on, guys. Dig it in.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49Long and strong. Go on.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53Their heroic efforts keep them clear of the Swelkie,
0:54:53 > 0:54:56and now the current that fights them is weakening
0:54:56 > 0:54:58as the tide begins to turn.
0:54:58 > 0:55:03Slack water will allow them to head straight for mainland Britain.
0:55:03 > 0:55:07Andy, you're perfectly on course. Good job.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23Oh!
0:55:25 > 0:55:29Dry land. British mainland.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32- We made it.- Yes, we did it!
0:55:32 > 0:55:35- CHEERING - Well done, guys. Well done, Andy.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38That was cracking. Good effort.
0:55:38 > 0:55:43I feel sore, tired, relieved.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46The last time that someone did this in that sort of boat,
0:55:46 > 0:55:49was probably, I don't know, 2000, 3000 BC.
0:55:49 > 0:55:53We did it in, what did we do it in? Just under five hours.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02This unique archaeological experiment
0:56:02 > 0:56:05has shown the extraordinary feats
0:56:05 > 0:56:08which these ancient people were capable of.
0:56:08 > 0:56:11Their fragile skin boats carry people,
0:56:11 > 0:56:14animals and goods across the most treacherous waters
0:56:14 > 0:56:16in the British Isles.
0:56:16 > 0:56:20They also carried something less tangible, but equally important.
0:56:20 > 0:56:22Culture.
0:56:22 > 0:56:27This was how ideas, beliefs and expertise spread out
0:56:27 > 0:56:29to the rest of Britain.
0:56:35 > 0:56:36Look at him.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39He's radiating smug.
0:56:39 > 0:56:42O, ye of little faith!
0:56:42 > 0:56:46I was forewarding an understanding of Neolithic man.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49You don't think it's anything to do with the fact that it was a day that
0:56:49 > 0:56:52Pentland Firth has never seen before and will probably never see again?
0:56:52 > 0:56:55I think that's probably the biggest factor, to be fair.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58But, yeah, if the wind had been even 5mph more, we probably
0:56:58 > 0:57:02- wouldn't have made it. - Did it feel seaworthy?
0:57:02 > 0:57:05- You know, were you confident in the craft?- Yeah, absolutely.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08I think their boat technology was far more advanced than
0:57:08 > 0:57:10what we had. If you're making multiple crossings
0:57:10 > 0:57:13throughout the year, year after year, generation after generation,
0:57:13 > 0:57:17you're going to hone those boats to be fantastic crafts.
0:57:17 > 0:57:22People in Neolithic times must have had a massively extensive
0:57:22 > 0:57:24knowledge of tides and currents.
0:57:24 > 0:57:28And that could have only really come from just patience and observation
0:57:28 > 0:57:31over generations. Just passing this information down.
0:57:31 > 0:57:35It seems to me that during the Neolithic in Orkney,
0:57:35 > 0:57:37there was almost a golden era, they understood their place
0:57:37 > 0:57:40in the universe, they understood the relationship
0:57:40 > 0:57:42to the world around them.
0:57:42 > 0:57:44And it worked for a long, long time.
0:57:44 > 0:57:50You know, we are talking at the Ness of Brodgar, about 1,000 years.
0:57:50 > 0:57:52I mean, just stop and think about that.
0:57:52 > 0:57:551,000 years of continuity there.
0:57:55 > 0:57:58And it obviously begs the question,
0:57:58 > 0:58:00why did it come to an end?
0:58:04 > 0:58:10Next time, we investigate the dramatic collapse of the ness.
0:58:10 > 0:58:12There was a gathering, and as many
0:58:12 > 0:58:15as 400 head of cattle were slaughtered.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18We ask why people abandoned a whole way of life.
0:58:18 > 0:58:21Maybe the people that left here felt good about going to the mainland.
0:58:21 > 0:58:23I'm going to put a third this side.
0:58:23 > 0:58:27And Shini puts her engineering skills to the test.
0:58:27 > 0:58:29- I'm impressed.- Yeah? - Yeah. It's really good.