Jarlshof, Shetland, Scotland
Jarlshof, Shetland, Scotland
Existence: Around 4200 Years, From 2500 BC til 1700 AD
Belonged to: Ancient Britons, Celts, Picts, Vikings, Scotland
Jarlshof is the best-known prehistoric archaeological site in Shetland, Scotland and has been described as "one of the most remarkable archaeological sites ever excavated in the British Isles". It contains remains dating from 2500 BC up to the 17th century AD.
The Bronze Age in Scotland lasted from approximately 2000 BC to 800 BC. The oldest known remains on the Jarlshof site date from this period, although there is evidence of inhabitation as far back as 2500 BC. The remains of several small oval houses with thick stone walls date to the late Bronze Age and the structures show some similarity to Skara Brae on Mainland, Orkney, but are smaller and of a later date. These buildings may have been partly subterranean at the earliest period of inhabitation, a technique that provided both structural stability and insulation.
The inhabitants of the Iron Age Jarlshof built part of their settlement on top of the Bronze Age one, the structures include a complex roundhouse. It is in this period that the broch was built. Part of the structure has been lost to coastal erosion, and modern sea defences have been erected. The tower was originally 13 metres (40 feet) or more high and as with many broch sites the position would have commanded fine views of the surrounding seas.
Later finds of the Pictish age include jewelry and painted stones, as well as pottery and weapons.
Later, it is believed the Norse Vikings inhabited the site continuously from the ninth to the 14th centuries and most remains of the area are from this time, including the first confirmed Norse longhouse in the British Isles. The Viking Age ruins make up the largest such site visible anywhere in Britain and as well as severa longhouses, excavations also provided numerous tools and a detailed insight into life in Shetland at this time.
The castle, now known as Jarlshof House, was built during the Scottish period. Originally a medieval stone farmhouse, it was converted into a fortified house during the 16th century, by Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney after Scotland annexed Shetland. The building was eventually abandoned in the late 17th century.
