| The
layout of the broch The majority of Orkney's excavated
brochs were "investigated" in the 19th century. Back then, the antiquarians
were more interested in the artefacts that could be found, so little is known
about how the brochs were constructed and developed over time.
More
recent work, however, has clarified a number of points regarding broch layout.
In general, the broch's ground floor was laid out around a central hearth, cooking
tank and water cistern, with the outer perimeter divided into different "rooms"
by radial slab partitions. Spaces within the broch's
hollow walls were also used as storage units or guard cells.
The
upper floors of the broch, if indeed there were any, are thought to have been built as wooden galleries, overlooking
the ground floor, rather than as a complete floor.
It
has also been suggested that the broch itself was a mere shell, housing an internal
wooden structure that formed the galleries, roof and dwelling areas.
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