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Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
‘We Irish were never homogeneous. Always hybrids, always mongrels'
For a generation of TV viewers growing up in the early 1980s, the history of Ireland will be forever sketched by the soft, Oxbridge tones of historian Robert Kee in his magisterial series, Ireland: A Television History. The landmark 13-part 1981 series sought to explain Ireland's past during the height of The Troubles, firstly, to an English audience left ignorant by 'the distorting lens of unquestioning assumptions laced with post-imperial incomprehension', as his obituary later described. From Sunday, June 8th, a new telling of Ireland's story from its very first inhabitants to the present day, narrated by Dublin-born Hollywood film star Colin Farrell , will begin on RTÉ . Entitled From That Small Island, the four 50-minute programmes, filmed in 17 countries from Barbados to Australia, are written and produced by Bríona Nic Dhiarmada and directed by Rachael Moriarty and Peter Murphy. READ MORE From the off, the series seeks to merge the skills of historians, archaeologists and scientists to tell the island's history in fresh ways that will both inform and challenge many long-held readings of the past. In the first episode, viewers will come face to face with 'Rathlin Man', whose Bronze Age remains were discovered on the island off the North Antrim coast in 2006 during the clearing of land for a pub driveway. In the past, an artist's impression would have been used to convey to viewers what he looked like in life, but today, advances in ancient DNA sampling mean that an accurate facial reconstruction is possible. 'We know this man's face, the muscles, the structure, the colour of his hair, the colour of his eyes. He's got the gene for haemochromatosis , the supposed Celtic disease. He was lactose tolerant, which shows his diet was very much dairy,' says Nic Dhiarmada. History professor Jane Ohlmeyer is the series' historical consultant and associate producer, as well as the co-author with Nic Dhiarmada of an accompanying book to be published next year by Oxford University Press. The very first people to come here were hunter-gatherers. We don't know where they came from, but they came by sea. That's the only thing that we're sure about — Bríona Nic Dhiarmada Sitting in Ohlmeyer's office in Trinity College Dublin, Nic Dhiarmada and Ohlmeyer enthusiastically describe the origin of the TV series. The idea grew from conversations the two had when they met in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2016, where they agreed to work together to tell a new history of the island from a time without written records – 'pre-history' to historians – up to today. The search into the past was not only useful, but necessary to throw light on the present: 'Gabriel Cooney, the eminent professor of archaeology at UCD, says that what comes before determines what comes after,' says Nic Dhiarmada. The two have clearly enjoyed the experience of nearly 10 years of work and the hundreds of hours of recorded interviews gathered by Nic Dhiarmada: 'Do you know how much fun it is? It's work, but it's powerful craic as well,' says Ohlmeyer. Old shibboleths will be tackled: 'This homogeneous Ireland idea, this little Catholic thing, was never the case. We were never homogeneous. Always hybrids, always mongrels. We didn't set out to prove that, but that's what came out,' Nic Dhiarmada says. [ Northern Ireland youth keen on a more integrated society but feel it is a long way off Opens in new window ] The people who built Newgrange and the other megalithic creations that are so much part of Ireland's international image of today left monuments of stone behind them, but they did not leave behind a DNA heritage, disappearing from history. 'The very first people to come here were hunter-gatherers. We don't know where they came from, but they came by sea. That's the only thing that we're sure about,' says Nic Dhiarmada. [ The Irish passport at 100: Not just a travel document but a declaration of hope and of reclaiming identity Opens in new window ] 'They stayed here and then they just disappeared. They left things behind them like fish traps, or cremated remains, but the latter are not that useful because you can't extract DNA from them.' Then, the first farmers came, having migrated from Anatolia in modern-day Turkey, leaving behind in the boglands of the Céide Fields in north Mayo the earliest signs of organised agriculture found anywhere on Earth. In time, the Anatolian migrants almost entirely disappeared from the DNA record, too, though a skeleton of one of them, known as 'Ballynahatty Woman', was found in a townland near Belfast in 1855. 'They knew she had dark, sallow skin and brown eyes. When I asked what these people looked like, I was told, 'Go to Sardinia, they look like contemporary Sardinians,'' Nic Dhiarmada says. The excavation of the island's megalithic inheritance, especially the most famous of its tombs, Poulnabrone in the Burren in Co Clare, led to the discovery of the remains of a six-month-old child. From That Small Island: Kiloggin Castle From That Small Island: Leuven records 'When they analysed the DNA, they found that she had the chromosomes which showed that she had Down syndrome, had been breast-fed for at least six months and was buried in honour,' says Nic Dhiarmada. Throughout, the TV series will show how the island's history shares common threads with elsewhere, but also where it fundamentally differs from the rest of Europe, largely because it is an island. 'Being an island is hugely important because you're isolated to a degree, or things will come later, or in a different way,' says Ohlmeyer. Nic Dhiarmada interjects: 'Compared to Britain, which has pretty much the same climate, pretty much on the same geographic line, we have 40 per cent less flora and fauna than they do. 'We don't have toads, we don't have snakes, or vipers. Snakes. It wasn't because of St Patrick. They never came, they never got here, because getting to an island is much more difficult.' The later episodes will tell the often-grisly story of colonisation. 'The Catholic Irish in the 17th century suffered enormously. The expropriation of eight million acres of land, a third of the land mass. And it's the best land. And then this transplantation of people to Connaught, effectively into reservations,' Ohlmeyer says. 'That's what we saw later in America in the 19th century. So, all of this happened in Ireland for hundreds of years. Ireland is the playbook for imperialism as it unfolds around the world later. That is something that hasn't been fully appreciated.' However, the narrative so often told in Ireland today that 'we were oppressed for 800 years, that we were always very good, that we never did anything bad, that we suffered under the English yoke is not necessarily true, either,' says Nic Dhiarmada. Instead, the history of Ireland is full of endless contradictions, which need to be understood today: 'We are this exception to everything else. We were a colony, but we were agents of empire – we were colonisers as well.' In the 17th century, thousands of Irish were sent as 'press-ganged' indentured servants to the Caribbean. Many died because of the brutal conditions. 'They all suffered tremendously,' says Ohlmeyer, 'but at the end of the day, their whiteness does afford them some privilege. Over time. In Barbados, some Irish such as the Blakes and Kirwans from Galway profited hugely from sugar.' If they survived, the indentured servants were given plots of land. Some prospered. Others did not; their equally poor descendants today in Barbados are known as 'Redlegs', or 'the Ecky Beckies', as the programmes will show. I think Ireland is having a conversation in a very actually mature way that has paved the way for a very difficult conversation around empire and the legacy of empire — Jane Ohlmeyer 'On the one hand, you have people who are desperately poor, who remain desperately poor. On the other, you have people who go on to become very effective overseers on the plantations and plantation owners themselves,' she says. In Jamaica, the records are filled with stories of the Irish who made good on the backs of others – 'the Kellys, who are as rich as any other plantation owner in 18th century Jamaica, investing it in conspicuous consumption back home in Ireland'. Nic Dhiarmada says: 'The people on the island of Ireland were oppressed, were colonised. They often then went out and did the same thing to others, working for the British Empire, Dutch Empire, French Empire, particularly the Spanish Empire. Ricardo Wall, whose parents had left Limerick, 'ends up running the Spanish Empire in the 18th century, and not only is he running it, he's also then the most amazing patron for other Irish people', she says. Often, they argue, 'the abused became the abusers', particularly in the Caribbean where 'people who themselves had been transported and hideously abused go on to be the most violent and aggressive overseers themselves', says Ohlmeyer. [ 'Nobody knew things were going to get so bad': Catholic RUC officer's defaced headstone at centre of Troubles exhibition Opens in new window ] The challenges posed by the series will not just be for Catholics, or those with a Catholic cultural identity: 'For some Protestants, the 17th century or 18th century issues will be hard. To this day, some don't accept that Ireland was ever a colony,' says Ohlmeyer. Yet, equally, the rigid framing of history for nearly 200 years has hidden stories of Protestants suffering during the Famine, who were written out of the narrative: 'Cholera made no religious distinction,' as one US academic puts it. Any idea that only Irish Catholics suffered in the Famine is 'rubbish, absolutely untrue, a myth', says Nic Dhiarmada, one propagated by some in the Orange Order more comfortable with a framing of history that laid the blame for hunger at the door of 'feckless' Catholics. Jane Ohlmeyer and Bríona Nic Dhiarmada and at Duncannon Fort, Co Wexford Layering on the complications, the two tell the story of the Irish Catholics in India who formed two-thirds of the British military forces there working directly for the Crown, or the East India Company. 'Within the British Army, they were treated as if they were indigenous, just like the Indian sepoys. They could never get promoted, even though they enforced British rule,' Nic Dhiarmada says. For decades, historians shied away from telling the fuller story of Ireland's past, especially during The Troubles when everything was politicised 'by both sides in a very unhelpful way, so historians avoided it like the plague', says Ohlmeyer. 'We're in a very different space now. I think Ireland is having a conversation in a very actually mature way that has paved the way for a very difficult conversation around empire and the legacy of empire. 'History muddies the water. Were we the good guys, or the bad guys? We were both. We were the good guys and the bad guys. We had harm done to us, and caused harm to others,' she concludes. From That Small Island begins on RTÉ 1 next Sunday, June 8th at 6.30pm
Fox News
8 hours ago
- Health
- Fox News
Archaeologists unearth ancient bread that survived underground for 5,000 years
Archaeologists recently unveiled a rare culinary find: a well-preserved loaf of ancient bread. The artifact was found during an archaeological excavation at the Kulluoba site in the Eskisehir province, located in central Turkey. Excavators unearthed the loaf in Sept. 2024, but it wasn't unveiled to the public until this month. The bread is roughly 5,000 years old and was baked during Turkey's Bronze Age. Researchers say the bread was burnt and buried under the entrance of a dwelling dating back to 3,300 B.C. Some of the bread, which measures about 5 inches in diameter, was torn off before it was buried. An image of the loaf shows that it's blackened and crumbled with age — but it still retains the shape of bread. Murat Türkteki, archaeologist and director of the excavation, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that ancient bread is a "rare find," per Turkish Minute, a local outlet. "Bread is a rare find during an excavation. Usually, you only find crumbs." "Bread is a rare find during an excavation. Usually, you only find crumbs," he said. "But here, it was preserved because it had been burnt and buried." Since May 22, Turkish bakers have been working to recreate the bread. The recipe is based on an ancient wheat, which is best suited to drought conditions — shedding light on the climate of central Turkey during the Bronze Age. Serap Güler, the bakery's manager, told AFP the bread is made by combining "ancestral wheat flour, lentils and bulgur, [which] results in a rich, satiating, low-gluten, preservative-free bread." The yellow cake-like loafs have reportedly been a hit with local residents. One customer named Suzan Kuru told AFP she was "curious about the taste of this ancient bread." "I rushed because I was afraid there wouldn't be any left," she said. Discovering well-preserved ancient foods is exceptionally rare in the field of archeology, though a few excavators have been lucky enough to come across them. Last September, researchers found ancient kefir cheese from Tarim Basin mummies dating back 3,500 years in western China. Before that, archaeologists found the world's oldest bottle of wine in an Ancient Roman burial site in southern Spain.
National Geographic
a day ago
- Science
- National Geographic
These 4,500-year-old rattles may be among the world's oldest toys
Clay rattles made in Syria about 4,500 years ago were designed to 'amuse and calm' infants, according to a new study. But some archaeologists think they were used in rituals to dispel evil spirits, or that they might have served both purposes. 'They have little handles that are too small for me, and I have quite small hands,' says archaeologist Mette Marie Hald from the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen. 'They are for infants or toddlers.' In the new study published in the journal Childhood in the Past, Hald and her co-authors describe artifacts kept by the museum after excavations of an ancient mound in Hama in Syria in the 1930s. The possible playthings are among the oldest toys in the archaeological record. (Who made these unusual ancient 'puppets'—and left them atop a pyramid?) Early excavations Many of the artifacts ended up in museums throughout the Middle East, including Syria's National Museum of Damascus. But the expedition members took some back to Denmark, where they were placed in storage until Hald and her colleagues re-examined them. The new analysis has established that at least 21 of the clay fragments come from rattles made between about 4,500 and 4,000 years ago, during the Early Bronze Age, when Hama was one of several ancient city-states in the region. Hald says part of one rattle had been misidentified as a 'sieve' because it contained holes; and the hollow handle of another was mislabeled as 'piping.' Examples of handles and bodies from the Hama rattle assemblage are superimposed over the outline of a complete rattle from another site in Syria called Al-Zalaqiyat. Photoillustration by G. Mouamar, the National Museum of Denmark Bronze Age rattles or wards against evil? The analysis shows the fragments are almost identical in style and size to an unbroken rattle found at an ancient cemetery a few miles north of Hama, named Al-Zalaqiyat, and to rattles from other Early Bronze Age sites now held at the museum in Damascus. Those rattles were filled with pebbles or small clay pellets, to make a noise when they were shaken—similar to some modern baby toys—and so the authors suggest they were designed for small children to play with. Some archaeologists have proposed that the rattles were 'apotropaic'—meaning the noise they made was designed to ward off evil spirits—or that they were used as musical instruments. But the study's lead author, archaeologist Georges Mouamar of the National Museum of Denmark and the French research agency CNRS, carried out experiments with the rattle from Al-Zalaqiyat and determined it was too small to have made much noise. 'It just made a tiny little sound,' Hald says. 'It wouldn't have been very entertaining as a musical instrument.' The Hama fragments were also found in what had been a domestic neighborhood, rather than a temple or a burial ground; and this strengthened the idea they were used by children, Hald says. The analysis also determined that the Hama fragments were made from the same distinctive mix of clays as commercial pottery from the ancient city—implying the rattles were made by professional potters for sale at street markets to parents. The Hama rattles seem well-finished, with intricate designs in pottery glaze that support the idea they were made by professionals, Hald says. Hama was a regional center during the Early Bronze Age, and so the rattles may have been mass produced there for sale elsewhere. Other types of rattles have been found in other parts of Syria and the Middle East—rattles shaped like animals, for example, are often found in northern Syria—and so it is likely local potters made them in locally popular styles, she says. Fragments of 4500-year-old baby rattles match the chemical makeup of other ceramic housewares from Hama. Photograph by John Fhær Engedal Nissen, the National Museum of Denmark The new study has stirred debate among experts over whether the Hama rattles and others like them served a ritual or playful purpose. Archaeologist Elynn Gorris of Belgium's University of Louvain, who was not involved in the study, is concerned that the Hama rattles, while small, would have been too large and heavy for babies to hold. But she allows that they would have been suitable for toddlers. Gorris notes that similar rattles have been found at archaeological sites in the Americas—including a similar rattle from California that may be up to 1,000 years old—where evidence indicates they were used traditionally in rituals and for making music, as they still are today. But 'this is not about wrong or right—this is an inclusive story,' she says. 'These could have been used by toddlers, but that doesn't exclude the fact that they could have been percussion instruments to keep rhythm for adults, for lullabies or for ritual songs.' Archaeologist Kristine Garroway, a professor at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles who has studied clay rattles from the ancient Levant, is 'very convinced' by the study's findings. But she also thinks the rattles may have had a 'dual use,' first as apotropaic devices to scare evil spirits from homes and then as noisemakers to amuse small children. 'These could have been used in multiple different ways,' she says. (What can we learn from a Bronze Age lunchbox?) If the rattles are toys, then they are some of the earliest that survive—other contenders include a 5000-year-old chariot from Turkey and a 4000-year-old stone head, possibly from a doll, from an Italian island. The fact the researchers are thinking about ancient children is important, notes Garroway: 'Children get overlooked in the archaeological record, [so] to even stop and think that children could have been using these objects is amazing.' For Hald, all the evidence indicates the Hama rattles were designed to keep small children entertained. 'Parents in the past loved their children, just as we do today,' she says. 'But perhaps parents also needed to distract their children now and then so that they could have a bit of peace and quiet to themselves. Today, we use screens, back then it was rattles.'
Buzz Feed
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Buzz Feed
South Asians On Hollywood Scandinavian Scarf Trend
Note: This post is an Op-Ed and shares the author's personal views. Suppose you've been browsing TikTok looking for inspiration on what to wear to your friend's upcoming garden wedding. If so, you've probably noticed one particular item has been making the rounds on everyone's vision board for the season. Stroll through any women's clothing store and you'll spot it. Every celebrity was wearing it at award shows, and it looks like it's the accessory of the summer. I'm of course referring to those fab little chiffon scarves that the girlies have been draping around their necks. So chic, they've almost been impossible to escape. But if you have a South Asian friend, you might have had to sit through a rant or two on FaceTime where they tiredly explained their frustration with this particular accessory. My friends sure have had to put up with a couple of vent sessions over the past months. But you might be wondering what the actual issue is, if there's any at all. A little background for those who might need it: if your feed looks different to mine, you might have missed the discussion around the ironically named 'Scandinavian Scarf' micro-trend. The discourse has permeated the online cultural zeitgeist of the South Asian community over the past year, and it's been rampant. In case you missed it, here's the rundown. In a since-deleted TikTok video, the Bipty employee attempted to describe the style of sheer scarf worn as a shawl, saying it was 'very European and effortlessly chic.' While some agreed, the video was quickly spread in South Asian circles online, where viewers instantly recognized the style as something pretty distinctly Desi. In South Asian women's cultural clothing, more often than not, a scarf will be worn. This scarf, called a dupatta or a chunni, is a very prominent feature of traditional dress. It dates back literally thousands of years to the Indus Valley civilization, which was around during the Bronze Age. So it's not exactly something new. To this day, dupattas are worn by South Asian women, both in cultural clothing and in everyday life. You'll find them everywhere from Bollywood movies to Naani's wardrobe. They symbolize a lot of different things to a lot of different people, but it's a pretty distinctive marker that ties the community together. At least, that's what it means to me. After the original video went viral, Bipty founder Natalia Ohanesian took to social media to apologize for her employee's actions. 'The fashion aesthetic my teammate was fawning over in that video is very clearly not European,' she said. 'I understand the deeper conversations of cultural appropriation and all of the hurt that comes from these conversations.' 'I'm seeing this as an opportunity to really enrich Bipty's community, so thank you,' she continued. 'We are very sorry to the South Asian communities that were offended.' The video is currently unavailable as of May 2025, and it looks like Bipty has removed their TikTok presence entirely. Since last summer, South Asians online have been poking fun at the 'Scandinavian Scarf' trend and have been using it as an excuse to post themselves in their gorgeous cultural clothing. As they should. But despite awareness of the issue online, the scarf trend has only grown in popularity. Last year, during awards season, we saw a number of celebrities donning a scarf around the neck, and this year was no different. I counted 7 at this year's Oscars alone before I got bored and stopped counting. The style was sported at the SAG Awards, the Gotham Awards, the White House Correspondents' Dinner, and pretty much everywhere else you can think of. Now, I definitely can't claim that there's anything inherently wrong with wearing a floaty piece of fabric around your neck. A number of fashion outlets covered the trend and credited it to certain 'Old Hollywood' moments: most notably Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief, and Princess Diana at Cannes in 1987. While all of these are instances of the style being a Hollywood staple for a while, it's not hard to imagine how the '50s look gained popularity in the West, especially considering that India only gained independence from British rule in 1947. So gems and spices were probably not the only things the Brits took home. Many brands have also been getting a ton of flak for now selling pieces that look distinctly South Asian. Reformation, VRG GRL, and Oh Polly are among the labels that have faced criticism for their recent designs. The Oh Polly one was kind of my favorite, because in what world is that not a sharara? South Asians online have had varying reactions, but the overarching feeling is definitely one of dislike. Some creators have declared that all they want is credit, and that it's fine to wear South Asian inspired pieces as long as they are referred to by the correct cultural names. However, I feel like I'm getting flashbacks to Coachella 2015 when I was fighting for my life on Tumblr, arguing that no, it wasn't okay to wear a bindi and a tikka, yes, even if you were Vanessa Hudgens. As for me, I am of the camp that if you can't pronounce dupatta, there's no reason that you should be wearing one. However, I can't even bring myself to care that much. We really have bigger issues to focus on as a community right now. Have you seen the turmoil that our countries are going through back home? What I'm feeling is exhaustion. After years of the same arguments getting hashed out over and over again, my gut response is just fine, screw it. You win. Wear whatever you want. But I'm also exhausted because I know exactly how this is going to end. The most frustrating part about seeing your culture get co-opted for the trend of the week is knowing that it's on a time limit. With how fast micro-trends run in and out of the social sphere, it's now a matter of minutes before something goes out of fashion. In a year or two, people will look back and laugh about how everyone and their mother were wearing a neck scarf in 2025, and how they wouldn't be caught dead in one now. Meanwhile, my family and I will still be wearing dupattas on Eid, because that's what we do every year. But God forbid I wear one in public, lest someone think I'm following a dead trend. The very idea. Up until literally this year, long, decorated nail extensions were everywhere. Stiletto acrylics were so common that it really seemed like people forgot the origin — which was Black women from the early '90s onwards. At the time, the style was looked down upon as 'ghetto,' but as always, it was adopted by non-Black folks a couple of years on. But now, it seems like it's run its course, as many online creators have been talking about how short, nude nails are here to stay. Now, long nails are outdated. Another cultural look, taken and discarded with little remorse. We can't control trends. I certainly participate in them. And I can't really fault anyone for wanting to wear a scarf around their neck with a pretty dress. It's cute, I get it. But it's tiring, knowing the outcome. Knowing that when something is in, it's in. And when it's out, it's unthinkable. We're not able to change that. But if you see me wearing a scarf with a dress in five or ten years, at least don't act surprised. Check out more AAPI-centered content by exploring how BuzzFeed celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! Of course, the content doesn't end after May. Follow BuzzFeed's A*Pop on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to keep up with our latest AAPI content year-round.
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Scotsman
2 days ago
- General
- Scotsman
Three ancient stone circles go on market — including one of Scotland's finest
The ancient Bronze Age sites in Aberdeenshire are looking for a new owner. Sign up to our History and Heritage newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Ancient, mysterious and revered, the stone circles of Scotland's deep past are not something you expect to come across in an estate agent's brochure. But now, not one, but three Bronze Age stone circles have gone up for sale in Aberdeenshire - including one of the country's finest. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Easter Aquhorthies stone circle near Inverurie is one of the finest examples of its kind. It is now on the market as part of a sale of farmland. Picture: Aberdeenshire Council. | Aberdeenshire Council The scheduled monuments are included in sales of farmland across the area, with the archaeologist for the region describing the three listings as 'remarkable' and a 'rare chance' to acquire a piece of Scotland's pre-history. Among the sales are Easter Aquhorthies near Inverurie, a recumbent stone circle that dates to around 4,000BC. Probably used as a cremation and memorial site, the location has been described as one of the best preserved of its kind. The scheduled monument sits between two fields, which are part of six being sold for a combined price of £530,000 or as two separate lots. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad READ MORE: Campaign to save Sunset Song church in heart of rural community that inspired Lewis Grassic Gibbon Archaeologist Bruce Mann, senior historic environment officer at Aberdeenshire Council, said the name of Aquhorthies hinted at the site's past use and derived from the Gaelic word meaning 'field of prayer'. He said: 'Easter Aquhorthies is one of the best-preserved recumbent stone-circles in the region and, as such, is incredibly important.' Mr Mann added: 'The fact that we have three stone circles for sale at the same time is remarkable as they rarely change hands, being often part of a wider farm or estate. The sales, especially that of Easter Aquhorthies, offers a rare chance for someone to purchase an important example of North East Scotland's prehistory. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Owing such a site, with its national designation as a scheduled monument, means careful management on behalf of the nation. The new owners will need to expect that people will continue to visit the stone circles, and that as owners they are custodians of part of our regional identity. 'They will also need to carefully consider what they will be able to do with the surrounding land, as the setting of these stone circles, within the land that is being sold, will need to be maintained.' Also for sale is the stone circle and ring cairn of Little Eslie near Banchory, which is being sold as part of 10.5 acres of land suitable for grazing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The circle is part of an important landscape during the Bronze Age period, with the Nine Stanes and Greater Eslie stone circles found nearby. South Ythsie, near Tarves, completes the stone circle sales. Made up of six upright stones, with the tallest measuring 2.4m high, the monument sits in 151 acres or arable and pastureland, which is being sold for a combined total of £740,000. Mr Mann advised that anyone buying the sites should seek advice both from local authority planners and from Historic Environment Scotland. James Presley, of Aberdeen and Northern Estates, who is handling the sales, said: 'We do have lots of stone circles in Aberdeenshire, but to be selling three properties at once, all which have stone circles, is rare.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He said there had been 'strong interest' in the three separate land sales, but mainly from those interested in the farmland. 'There probably have been a few inquiries regarding the stone circles,' he said.
