Atlantic roundhouse is an archaeological term used to describe a family of stone-built Iron Age buildings found in the northern and western parts of mainland Scotland, the Northern Isles and the Hebrides. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech/discourse) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... Iron Age Axe found on Gotland This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age, for the mythological Iron Age see Iron Age (mythology). ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... The Northern Isles are a chain of islands off the north coast of Scotland. ... The Hebrides The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, and in geological terms are composed of the oldest rocks in the British Isles. ...

They are a form of dry-stone Iron Age dwelling which is unique to the region, although there are also around a dozen likely brochs in central and southern Scotland. There are many subtypes that fall under the broad description of Atlantic Roundhouses, and there are regional variations, but they all share some common architectural features. Although constructed out of stone, they are thought to have had a conical wooden roof similar to that of the timber Roundhouses found elsewhere. Dun Carloway Broch, Lewis, Scotland The Broch is an Iron Age round tower fortification type unique to Scotland. ... The roundhouse is a type of house with a circular plan, built in western Europe before the Roman occupation. ...

Varieties of Atlantic Roundhouse include:

• Brochs
• Wheelhouses
• Certain Duns

Dun Carloway Broch, Lewis, Scotland The Broch is an Iron Age round tower fortification type unique to Scotland. ... Dun comes from the Brythonic Din and Gaelic Dun, meaning fort, and is now used as a general term for small stone built strongholds, enclosures or roundhouses in Scotland, as a sub-group of hill forts. ...

External links

• Atlantic Roundhouses