Editing Orkney (section)

===Prehistory===
{{Main|Prehistoric Orkney}}

[[File:RingofBrodgarJM.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Four large standing stones sit in a field of grass and heather. They are illuminated by reddish sunlight and they cast long shadows to the left. A lake and low hills lie beyond.|[[Ring of Brodgar]], on the island of [[Mainland, Orkney]]]]

A charred [[hazelnut]] shell, recovered in 2007 during excavations in [[Tankerness]] on the Mainland, has been dated to 6820–6660 BC, indicating the presence of Mesolithic nomadic tribes.<ref>[http://www.stonepages.com/news/archives/002600.html "Hazelnut shell pushes back date of Orcadian site"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080316143444/http://www.stonepages.com/news/archives/002600.html |date=16 March 2008 }} (3 November 2007) Stone Pages Archaeo News. Retrieved 6 September 2009.</ref> The earliest known permanent settlement is at [[Knap of Howar]], a Neolithic farmstead on the island of [[Papa Westray]], which dates from 3500 BC. The village of [[Skara Brae]], Europe's best-preserved Neolithic settlement, is believed to have been inhabited from around 3100 BC.<ref>[http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/propertyresults/propertyabout.htm?PropID=PL_244&PropName=Skara%20Brae%20Prehistoric%20Village "Skara Brae Prehistoric Village" ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505130755/http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/propertyresults/propertyabout.htm?PropID=PL_244&PropName=Skara%20Brae%20Prehistoric%20Village |date=5 May 2016 }} Historic Scotland. Retrieved 3 February 2010.</ref> Other remains from that era include the [[Standing Stones of Stenness]], the [[Maeshowe]] [[passage grave]], the [[Ring of Brodgar]] and other standing stones. Many of the Neolithic settlements were abandoned around 2500 BC, possibly due to changes in the climate.<ref>Moffat (2005) p. 154.</ref><ref>[http://www.worldtimelines.org.uk/world/british_isles/scotland/2200-800BC "Scotland: 2200–800 BC Bronze Age"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203063651/http://worldtimelines.org.uk/world/british_isles/scotland/2200-800BC |date=3 December 2010 }} worldtimelines.org.uk Retrieved 23 August 2008.</ref><ref>Ritchie, Graham "The Early Peoples" in Omand (2003) pp. 32, 34.</ref>

In September 2021, archaeologists announced the discovery of two polished stone balls in a 5500-year-old Neolithic burial tomb in [[Sanday, Orkney|Sanday]]. According to Dr Hugo Anderson, the second object was as the "size of a cricket ball, perfectly spherical and beautifully finished".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gershon|first=Livia|title=Polished, 5,500-Year-Old Stone Balls Found in Neolithic Scottish Tomb|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/polished-stone-balls-found-5500-year-old-scottish-tomb-180978615/|access-date=2021-09-12|website=Smithsonian Magazine|language=en|archive-date=12 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912122233/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/polished-stone-balls-found-5500-year-old-scottish-tomb-180978615/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Two mysterious stone balls found buried in 5,500-year-old 'disappearing' tomb in Orkney|url=https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/two-mysterious-stone-balls-found-buried-in-5500-year-old-disappearing-tomb-in-orkney-3368676|access-date=2021-09-12|website=www.scotsman.com|date=2 September 2021 |language=en|archive-date=12 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912122234/https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/two-mysterious-stone-balls-found-buried-in-5500-year-old-disappearing-tomb-in-orkney-3368676|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Archaeologists discover rare stones in a 'disappearing' tomb in Scotland|url=https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/archaeologists-discover-rare-stones-in-a-disappearing-tomb-in-scotland-678989|access-date=2021-09-12|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post &#124; Jpost.com|language=en-US|archive-date=12 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912122234/https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/archaeologists-discover-rare-stones-in-a-disappearing-tomb-in-scotland-678989|url-status=live}}</ref>

During the [[Bronze Age]], fewer large stone structures were built (although the great ceremonial circles continued in use<ref>Wickham-Jones (2007) p. 73.</ref>) as metalworking was slowly introduced to Britain from Europe over a lengthy period.<ref>Moffat (2005) pp. 154, 158, 161.</ref><ref>Whittington, Graeme and Edwards, Kevin J. (1994) [http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/psas/volumes.cfm "Palynology as a predictive tool in archaeology"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522025643/http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/psas/volumes.cfm |date=22 May 2013 }} (pdf) ''Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland''. '''124''' pp. 55–65.</ref> There are relatively few Orcadian sites dating from this era although there is the impressive Plumcake Mound near the Ring of Brodgar,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/brodgar/plumcakemound.htm|title=The Ring o' Brodgar – Plumcake Mound|website=www.orkneyjar.com|access-date=28 May 2019|archive-date=27 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427200517/http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/brodgar/plumcakemound.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> and various island sites such as Tofts Ness on [[Sanday, Orkney|Sanday]] and the remains of two houses on [[Holm of Faray]].<ref>Wickham-Jones (2007) pp. 74–76.</ref><ref>Ritchie, Graham "The Early Peoples" in Omand (2003) p. 33.</ref>