Clickimin Broch, Lerwick, United Kingdom

The Broch of Clickimin is a large and well preserved, though somewhat restored broch near Lerwick. Originally built on an island in Clickimin Loch (now increased in size by silting and drainage), it was approached by a stone causeway. The water-level in the loch was reduced in 1874, leaving the broch high and dry. The broch is situated within a walled enclosure and, unusually for brochs, features a large 'blockhouse' between the opening in the enclosure and the broch itself. Another unusual feature is a stone slab featuring sculptured footprints, located in the causeway which approached the site. Situated across the loch is the Clickimin Leisure Centre. The site is maintained by Historic Scotland.

According to its excavator Hamilton there were several periods of occupation of the site: Late Bronze Age farmstead, Early Iron Age farmstead, Iron Age fort period one (wall/blockhouse), Iron Age fort period two (plugging of the main entrance or landing stage), broch period, early wheelhouse settlement (inside the broch), late wheelhouse settlement (outside the broch). In 1989 Noel Fojut argued that Hamilton's schema was overcomplicated.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Martin Mcchesney (9 months ago)
Was lucky enough to arrive whilst a visit tour, was taking place, very interesting, and amazed at the broch.

Mary Freer (11 months ago)
Very tidy site within the environs of Lerwick ... apart from some thoughtless recently discarded litter. Well labelled.

Samantha Kelly (12 months ago)
I'd never heard of this type of fortified building before so being able to look around one that was quite so intact was a delight

Julian Adams (2 years ago)
First broch of the holiday and I found it really interested. Really.easy to find in Lerwick and quite well preserved. There's some debate of what it original and what has been rebuilt from previously 'borrowed' stones. We wondered round for a bit and the kids could crawl into a small tunnel that lead to a large bedroom or storeroom in the walls. No way was I going to fit!!

Agata Runowska-McMillan (2 years ago)
If you're visiting Lerwick, you should definitely visit this broch. The site is very well maintained and easy to walk around.

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Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.

The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.

The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.

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The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.

The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.

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