Tomb of the Eagles

At the site, 16,000 human bones have been found, from at least 324 individuals, but no intact skeletons. Mixed with the human bones were talons and bones from eight to 20 birds. Some believed that the eagle was a totem animal for the individuals entombed here, but subsequent research indicated that the bird artifacts were added at a later time. These were identified as predominantly belonging to the white-tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla). The original interpretation of the bird artifacts suggested a foundation deposit. That interpretation was subsequently challenged by new dating techniques. These reveal that the eagles died c. 2450-2050 BC, up to 1,000 years after the building of the tomb. This confirms growing evidence from other sites that the Neolithic tombs of Orkney remained in use for many generations. ==In popular media==

In January 2017 the tomb was featured in the BBC Two archaeology series ''Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets of Orkney''. ==See also==