Before peat accumulated, visitors walked 5 ft higher. Peat engulfed the stones between 1000-500 BC during Iron Age climate deterioration. Peat cutting in 1857 revealed the stones as seen today, with Sir James Matheson overseeing the clearance.
Peat burial and ground surface changes at Callanish
Site mentioned
📍 Callinish Standing Stones [Island of Lewis] - Callanish II🌍 Show on the globe
Key facts
- Before 1857, visitors walked on ground 5 ft higher than present level
- Peat began accumulating around beginning of Iron Age due to climate deterioration
- Peat completely enveloped standing stones and much of Lewis landscape
- Peat cleared from main site in 1857, one year after initial clearance plans
- Jacob Vorso's 1800s sketches showed stones appearing shorter because he stood on higher ground
- Local people traditionally cut peat for fuel
Sources
megalithomania.co.uk
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