Winter Solstice

Yesterday we celebrated the Winter solstice.
The shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.
On the magical Island of Orkney, Scotland,
you can see the path of the winter sun move along, Inside the tomb of Maeshowe.

Maeshowe in Orkney, Scotland
is built to receive the sun as it comes to the Winter solstice.

Keeping time differences in mind,
you can see the live feed of the tomb Here.


from the Charles Tait site:

About Maeshowe
A Spectacular Neolithic Chambered Cairn built 5,000 years ago

Maeshowe (HY315128), considered to be one of the
finest architectural achievements of prehistoric Europe,
is across the road from Tormiston Mill (HY319126).
The mound, 35m in diameter and 7m high, consists
mostly of packed stones and clay, with an inner layer of stones
around the chamber itself. This chambered cairn was constructed
with great care, the large dressed slabs being carefully
set together and finished. The chamber is 4.5m square
and about the same in height. A tapered orthostat faces
each corner buttress giving an impression of space
and strength. The whole impression is of majesty
and the idea of a "Neolithic cathedral" comes to mind.

Maeshowe was built on a levelled area of ground with a surrounding bank
and ditch, peat from the bottom of which has been dated at 2750 BC,
which makes it contemporary with the Ring of Brodgar,
The Standing Stones of Stenness and Skara Brae.
Since no artefacts were found when this impressive tomb
was opened in 1861, little can be deduced about its usage.
The fact that the surrounding bank may have been
rebuilt in Norse times gives a tantalizing suggestion of
reuse in the 9th century. The Vikings entered the mound
during the 12th century and have left one of
the largest collections of runes anywhere, as well
as carvings of a dragon, a serpent and a walrus.

Several other sites have associations with the winter solstice
and in this case the setting sun shines directly down the passage of Maeshowe,
illuminating the back wall and passage in a dramatic fashion for a few minutes.
The sun sets directly over the Barnhouse Stone (HY313122) on the shortest day.
The discovery of a socket for a standing stone between the mound
and the ditch suggests that what we see today is only a part of
what was originally there, further adding to the enigma of purpose and use.