Hidden for Millennia: Newly Discovered 2,000-Year-Old Underground Chamber Unearths Scotland’s Ancient Secrets
The Ancient Underground Chamber Discovered In Knockaird
AOC ArchaeologyThe entrance to the chamber was sealed with soil in the post-medieval period.
Workers first came across the underground chamber known as a souterrain while building a new house for a resident of Knockaird in 2018.
Souterrain comes from the French sous terrain, meaning “underground.” These subterranean structures are typically built from timber or — as in this case — stone and generally form a curving underground passage or chamber.
AOC ArchaeologyThe souterrain is only about four-and-a-half feet high.
Because neither human remains nor grave goods are found in these chambers, experts believe they were used for storage in domestic settlements. The dark, cool environment would have been ideal for preserving foods like dairy and meat.
According to experts from AOC Archaeology, souterrains are found across Europe and Scotland, with 82 known souterrains in the Western Isles alone. However, few have been excavated with modern archaeological methods, meaning the Knockaird souterrain offers a unique glimpse into these ancient structures.
The souterrain itself is just under 22 feet in length, about four feet wide, and four-and-a-half feet tall. It was accessed via a shallow pit, with three large stone steps descending into the stone-lined passage.
AOC ArchaeologyThe interior of the chamber, which was most likely used to store and preserve food.
Archaeologists also noted that the steps had been purposefully covered with dirt, blocking the entrance sometime during the post-medieval period. Given the newer soil, experts theorized that this may have been a farmer’s attempt at closing the hole so livestock would not fall in — but there’s also evidence that the chamber was sealed during a ritual ceremony.
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