Clava Cairns is an early Bronze Age site in Scotland, located east of the city of Inverness, consisting of three well-preserved cairns (two of which are passage graves) and a number of free-standing stones strategically placed for astronomical purposes. The full name of the site is the Prehistoric Burial Cairns of the Balnuaran of Clava which is usually shortened to The Balnuaran of Clava and, informally, Clava Cairns. Although formerly classified as a Neolithic Period site, in 2000 CE Professor Richard Bradley conclusively proved it was constructed in the Bronze Age and, since the publication of his work, similarities between the monuments at Clava Cairns and other Bronze Age sites have been increasingly noted.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 2500 BCE - c. 2000 BCEThe Balnuaran of Clava (Clava Cairns) is built.
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770 CELast recorded use of Clava Cairns site in antiquity.
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1828 CEFirst excavations begun at Clava Cairns.
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1828 CE - c. 1990 CEOngoing excavations at Clava Cairns.
