The neolithic settlement of Skara Brae, Orkney, Scotland

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Skara Brae, Scotland

Nestled along the windswept coastline of the Orkney Islands in Scotland lies one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in Europe: Skara Brae. Skara Brae's ancient stone houses on the Orkney archipelago, pictured here, are one of the oldest Neolithic sites, occupied from roughly 3180 BCE to about 2500 BCE. Exposed by an 1850 storm, this prehistoric marvel is dubbed the 'Scottish Pompeii' due to its astonishing preservation—older than Stonehenge and even the Great Pyramids. It consists of a cluster of ten stone-built houses, connected by covered passageways.