I visited the oft-overlooked Cairnpapple Hill in May of 2023 and discovered an ancient mystery.
Used as an ancient ritual site more than 4000 years ago, Cairnpapple (translating to, variously, “cairn of the people”, “cairn of the eye,” or “cairn of the tent”) stands atop a prominent hill that catches the eye within the local landscape. (A cairn is a human-made stack of rocks.) After a somewhat steep walk up its side, on a clear day one can see from coast to coast.
Within its area are six hearths dating from about 5,500 years ago, roughly contemporaneous with Newgrange in Ireland. The hearths left behind potshards and fragments of two stone axes constructed in Wales and Cumbria, indicating a vast area of trading and influence. The hearths, made of wood, were covered and later disintegrated under an oval earthworks (known as a henge) constructed some years later. The henge had a bank 60m across, surrounded by a broad ditch, which enclosed a ring of 24 upright timber posts. The timber hasn’t survived, but the post holes are clearly visible. There were two entrances to the henge, almost directly opposite each other.
About 4,000 years ago a very important man was buried in the center of the henge. Marked by an oval setting of stones, with a single large standing stone at its head, the body was laid on its back, face to the sky with a wooden mask covering the face. This is a truly unusual placement, as most bodies found were buried on their side in the fetal position. Two pots left alongside the body seem to have held food and drink to sustain the dead on their journey to the afterlife. At least three other (pagan) burials were conducted here later, in covered, stone-lined pits and a cremation site and (much later) three Christian burials took place.
The site is atmospheric and amazing, even covered with a cement bunker. We were visiting with friends, so I didn’t have much of a chance to make a sacred connection. I was, however, the last to leave, and took a few minutes to connect. I greeted the spirit of the place in a general, non-verbal way and was gratified to be acknowledged. I offered my gratitude for its existence and made an offering of an image it might enjoy — the view that day from the exterior summit. The image was accepted with bemusement, and I felt at peace. (Note, I did not leave a photo or any physical object behind. The image was shared with the spirit of the place from within my mind, in as much depth, color, and accuracy as I could manage.)
Open from April through September, Cairnpapple Hill is well worth a visit. The onsite volunteers are only too happy to tell you what you are seeing, and to explain its historical and archeological significance.
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/cairnpapple-hill