Brochs are mysterious features of Scottish archaeology. These two thousand year old stone structures date from the Iron Age, and it is estimated that at least seven hundred brochs once existed across Scotland. Most are now in a poor state of repair, but the most complete examples can only be said to resemble the cooling towers of modern power stations.

It is only to the north and west of Scotland, and predominant on Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, where stone was a more readily available building material than timber, that brochs are to be found. Huge windowless towers, ingeniously engineered, they represent the pinnacle of dry-stone wall building and remain one of the finest construction achievements of Iron Age Europe.

As a fort it is believed that brochs were never built to deter serious or sustained attack as their defences were simply too weak; the rough stone walls could be climbed by determined attackers and the entranceway lacked external protection and so could easily have been rammed. Lacking external windows and access to the top of the walls, the defenders inside were denied both visibility and the tactical advantage of height, from which missiles could be launched.

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/Brochs-the-Tallest-Prehistoric-Buildings-in-Britain/

Lacking external windows and access to the top of the walls, the defenders inside were denied both visibility and the tactical advantage of height, from which missiles could be launched.

I think, looking at the photos, that that particular broch would have had some sort of scaffolding in place to provide access to the top.

I didn’t think they were mysterious at all, I thought they were well understood by now.

party_pants said:

I didn’t think they were mysterious at all, I thought they were well understood by now.

Maybe they are cooling towers, akin to Zarkov’s ideas that the pyramids were enormous machines for extracting water from the air.

Speedy said:

Lacking external windows and access to the top of the walls, the defenders inside were denied both visibility and the tactical advantage of height, from which missiles could be launched.

I think, looking at the photos, that that particular broch would have had some sort of scaffolding in place to provide access to the top.

Yes, probably timber scaffolding that has since been taken for fire wood.
The stones from a lot of those old buildings were taken to build stone fence walls.

Looks a bit like a nuraghe

party_pants said:

I didn’t think they were mysterious at all, I thought they were well understood by now.

Not really, there are still conflicting interpretations. As one would expect for such old and somewhat impractical structures.

Bubblecar said:

party_pants said:

I didn’t think they were mysterious at all, I thought they were well understood by now.

Not really, there are still conflicting interpretations. As one would expect for such old and somewhat impractical structures.

Land-diving, like in Vanuatu?

captain_spalding said:

Bubblecar said:

party_pants said:

I didn’t think they were mysterious at all, I thought they were well understood by now.

Not really, there are still conflicting interpretations. As one would expect for such old and somewhat impractical structures.

Land-diving, like in Vanuatu?

Wrong shape. Wider at the bottom than at the top.

Bubblecar said:

party_pants said:

I didn’t think they were mysterious at all, I thought they were well understood by now.

Not really, there are still conflicting interpretations. As one would expect for such old and somewhat impractical structures.

Double skinned dry stone walls, built concentric with stairs in the passage in between. Probably would have had a roof of wooden beams and thatch. Would have been quite well insulated and sheltered from the wind and cold. Living quarters for people on the upper decks. The lower levels would have been practical stuff, or for penning valuable animals at night to keep them safe from thieves or wolves. Not the most elegant design solution, but simple enough to tick most boxes.

Speedy said:

captain_spalding said:

Bubblecar said:

Not really, there are still conflicting interpretations. As one would expect for such old and somewhat impractical structures.

Land-diving, like in Vanuatu?

Wrong shape. Wider at the bottom than at the top.

That’s the we like it, Jimmy.

captain_spalding said:

Speedy said:

captain_spalding said:

Land-diving, like in Vanuatu?

Wrong shape. Wider at the bottom than at the top.

That’s the we like it, Jimmy.

It is probably also why no living inhabitants are to be found.

roughbarked said:

captain_spalding said:

Speedy said:

Wrong shape. Wider at the bottom than at the top.

That’s the we like it, Jimmy.

It is probably also why no living inhabitants are to be found.

Because they’re wider at the bottom than the top?
Lotta Tableland ladies that shape. The locals call it Tableland Bum.

party_pants said:

I didn’t think they were mysterious at all, I thought they were well understood by now.

Perhaps so, but I’ve never heard of them.

captain_spalding said:

Maybe they are cooling towers, akin to Zarkov’s ideas that the pyramids were enormous machines for extracting water from the air.

The classic cooling tower shape was designed for maximum strength in holding water. So that suggests they were made to hold something heavy, like water or grain. The inside doesn’t look much like a granary, though, and why would anyone want to hold that much water there?

party_pants said:

Bubblecar said:

party_pants said:

I didn’t think they were mysterious at all, I thought they were well understood by now.

Not really, there are still conflicting interpretations. As one would expect for such old and somewhat impractical structures.

Double skinned dry stone walls, built concentric with stairs in the passage in between. Probably would have had a roof of wooden beams and thatch. Would have been quite well insulated and sheltered from the wind and cold. Living quarters for people on the upper decks. The lower levels would have been practical stuff, or for penning valuable animals at night to keep them safe from thieves or wolves. Not the most elegant design solution, but simple enough to tick most boxes.

Their actual status in the context of their communities is inevitably rather speculative. The extent to which they were designed for defence, or prestige etc is not really known.

mollwollfumble said:

The classic cooling tower shape was designed for maximum strength in holding water. So that suggests they were made to hold something heavy, like water or grain. The inside doesn’t look much like a granary, though, and why would anyone want to hold that much water there?

It is Scotland, was probably holding grain and water at the same time…

Bubblecar said:

party_pants said:

Bubblecar said:

Not really, there are still conflicting interpretations. As one would expect for such old and somewhat impractical structures.

Double skinned dry stone walls, built concentric with stairs in the passage in between. Probably would have had a roof of wooden beams and thatch. Would have been quite well insulated and sheltered from the wind and cold. Living quarters for people on the upper decks. The lower levels would have been practical stuff, or for penning valuable animals at night to keep them safe from thieves or wolves. Not the most elegant design solution, but simple enough to tick most boxes.

Their actual status in the context of their communities is inevitably rather speculative. The extent to which they were designed for defence, or prestige etc is not really known.

Archaeologists will argue over the details of anything.

mollwollfumble said:

party_pants said:

I didn’t think they were mysterious at all, I thought they were well understood by now.

Perhaps so, but I’ve never heard of them.

captain_spalding said:

Maybe they are cooling towers, akin to Zarkov’s ideas that the pyramids were enormous machines for extracting water from the air.

The classic cooling tower shape was designed for maximum strength in holding water. So that suggests they were made to hold something heavy, like water or grain. The inside doesn’t look much like a granary, though, and why would anyone want to hold that much water there?

I thought cooling towers were designed that way to improve the airflow. They don’t hold much water and are mainly hollow inside.

mollwollfumble said:

party_pants said:

I didn’t think they were mysterious at all, I thought they were well understood by now.

Perhaps so, but I’ve never heard of them.

captain_spalding said:

Maybe they are cooling towers, akin to Zarkov’s ideas that the pyramids were enormous machines for extracting water from the air.

The classic cooling tower shape was designed for maximum strength in holding water. So that suggests they were made to hold something heavy, like water or grain. The inside doesn’t look much like a granary, though, and why would anyone want to hold that much water there?

nowt to do with holding water, plus cooling towers don’t hold water in the first place.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooling_tower

Hyperboloid (sometimes incorrectly known as hyperbolic) cooling towers have become the design standard for all natural-draft cooling towers because of their structural strength and minimum usage of material. The hyperboloid shape also aids in accelerating the upward convective air flow, improving cooling efficiency.

The broch pictured appears to have a well inside it. I wonder if this was a common feature.

JudgeMental said:

mollwollfumble said:

party_pants said:

I didn’t think they were mysterious at all, I thought they were well understood by now.

Perhaps so, but I’ve never heard of them.

captain_spalding said:

Maybe they are cooling towers, akin to Zarkov’s ideas that the pyramids were enormous machines for extracting water from the air.

The classic cooling tower shape was designed for maximum strength in holding water. So that suggests they were made to hold something heavy, like water or grain. The inside doesn’t look much like a granary, though, and why would anyone want to hold that much water there?

nowt to do with holding water, plus cooling towers don’t hold water in the first place.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooling_tower

Hyperboloid (sometimes incorrectly known as hyperbolic) cooling towers have become the design standard for all natural-draft cooling towers because of their structural strength and minimum usage of material. The hyperboloid shape also aids in accelerating the upward convective air flow, improving cooling efficiency.

This ^
I’ve been inside lots of them. Mainly hollow.

Speedy said:

The broch pictured appears to have a well inside it. I wonder if this was a common feature.

Broch

“As in the case of Old Scatness in Shetland (near Jarlshof and Burroughston on Shapinsay), brochs were sometimes located close to arable land and a source of water (some have wells or natural springs rising within their central space)”

Speedy said:

The broch pictured appears to have a well inside it. I wonder if this was a common feature.

It’s the kind of thing you’d have if you expected that you might have to wait out a siege in a structure. But, it looks like you could push it over with decent pole and a few hefty lads.

There’s broches here on a map with numbers.
WTF do the numbers mean?
http://www.stravaiging.com/history/ancient/type/broch

Peak Warming Man said:

There’s broches here on a map with numbers.
WTF do the numbers mean?
http://www.stravaiging.com/history/ancient/type/broch

numbers usually signify quantities. or the order of things. or a reference. stuff like that. and more.

Peak Warming Man said:

There’s broches here on a map with numbers.
WTF do the numbers mean?
http://www.stravaiging.com/history/ancient/type/broch

Clicking on the numbers opens a list including that number of list items…

stravageor stra·vaig
verb (used without object), stra·vaged, stra·vag·ing.

1 Scot., Irish, and North England. to wander aimlessly.
2 to saunter; stroll.

Peak Warming Man said:

There’s broches here on a map with numbers.
WTF do the numbers mean?
http://www.stravaiging.com/history/ancient/type/broch

The number of brochs (or possible brochs) at each site.

Bubblecar said:

Peak Warming Man said:

There’s broches here on a map with numbers.
WTF do the numbers mean?
http://www.stravaiging.com/history/ancient/type/broch

The number of brochs (or possible brochs) at each site.

On further inspection and zoom it would appear that on this rare occasion, this one in a hundred year event, you are correct.