Shared description
Burnt Mound
There is much debate as to the purpose of the archaeological feature known as a "Burnt Mound". They date from the late Neolithic all through the Bronze Age (c.3200–900 BC) with a few examples from the subsequent Iron Age - though the dates and extent of these 'Ages' vary considerably by region and by historical authority. Effectively they can be thought of as a Bronze Age phenomenon.
There are two schools of thought as to how quickly they were created - rapidly, as the site of a temporary camp, or very slowly over decades or even centuries.
As to their purpose - suggestions have included cooking, bathing, dyeing, tanning and various other ideas. What is clear is that they were not burial sites, as they never contain human bones or ashes, but do always contain charcoal and often animal bones.
They are common in the north of Scotland with many in the Orkney and Shetland Islands. They are also plentiful in Ireland.
They are quite complicated structures usually featuring some kind of hearth and a trough all surrounded by a mound of shattered rock mixed with charcoal and sometimes animal bones. Some also contain a cist (a stone lined box, most usually associated with burials - but not in the case of Burnt Mounds).
There are two schools of thought as to how quickly they were created - rapidly, as the site of a temporary camp, or very slowly over decades or even centuries.
As to their purpose - suggestions have included cooking, bathing, dyeing, tanning and various other ideas. What is clear is that they were not burial sites, as they never contain human bones or ashes, but do always contain charcoal and often animal bones.
They are common in the north of Scotland with many in the Orkney and Shetland Islands. They are also plentiful in Ireland.
They are quite complicated structures usually featuring some kind of hearth and a trough all surrounded by a mound of shattered rock mixed with charcoal and sometimes animal bones. Some also contain a cist (a stone lined box, most usually associated with burials - but not in the case of Burnt Mounds).
by Rob Farrow
Created: Mon, 7 Aug 2023, Updated: Wed, 29 Oct 2025
7 images use this description: (all images taken in 2016)
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