Tomb of the Eagles, The

A large stalled chamber tomb dating from c.3000 BC, situated at Liddel in the southeast of the island of South Ronaldsay in Orkney. It takes its name from the many sea eagles' claws and bones found amongst the burials. The tomb was discovered by local farmer Ronald Simison in 1958 and is now covered by a protective concrete dome. More than 16,000 human bones were recovered from the tomb, representing the remains of more than 330 individuals. It seemed to have been deliberately infilled with stones once it had fallen from use. There is a family-run museum at Liddel Farm which contains artefacts from the tomb and information on its excavation.

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