Carved in stone

Stone monuments in Orkney, from Neolithic to Norse times, reveal a complex interplay between cultural memory and ritual practice. The study highlights how the Norse inhabitants of Orkney integrated earlier Pictish and Neolithic stone heritage into their own material culture, particularly through the carving of crosses on medieval churches—a practice that sacralized space for religious rituals. Inscriptions in stone provide key evidence of this ambivalent relationship with the past, where stone both commemorates history and shapes the landscape's emotional and economic significance. Maeshowe, a Neolithic chambered cairn roofed in stone, serves as a tangible example of how Norse settlers encountered and interpreted these ancient structures. The research underscores Orkney's stone heritage as a living legacy, reflecting successive cultural constructions while remaining central to its identity.

Randles, S. (2019). Carved in stone. Historicising Heritage and Emotions, 19–33. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315472898-2