Archaeologists are amazed at the 5,000-year-old 'Scottish Pompeii' ruins

Researchers have been stunned by a 5,000-year-old ancient settlement on the Orkney Islands, described as "Scottish Pompeii (Scottish Pompeii)".

Duncansby Head Lighthouse marks the northernmost point of mainland England, about 1,400km southwest of Land's End. Just beyond is the Orkney Islands , where ancient secrets are hidden.

Scientists were shocked and called this place "Scottish Pompeii". (Photo: Youtube/Smithsonian Channel)

Twenty of these islands were once inhabited, with a population of about 22,000, concentrated on the largest island known as the Mainland .

It is estimated that Orkney's history stretches back about 6,000 years, from the Neolithic period. The remains of the culture are still scattered across the archipelago and were explored in the Smithsonian Channel documentary , "Aerial Britain: Scotland". The documentary's narrator notes: "This is a 5,000-year-old settlement called Scottish Pompeii."

The life of the ancient people here was only discovered in 1850. In this village, each house shares the same basic design - a single large room equipped with a freezer and wardrobe. and beds, all arranged around a square fireplace. Here the inhabitants would gather around the bonfire during Orkney's long, dark winters.

The Broch of Gurness , also on the Mainland, is another settlement dating back to around 500 BC. In the center of the village is a brooch, or stone tower. This is most likely inhabited by the main families or clans in the area. "This whole area could have been inhabited by about 40 families," the narrator said .

Residential areas are scattered across the entire Orkney Islands. With excavations underway at many sites, the narrator notes: "Secrets are being unearthed and history is slowly being rewritten" .