斯卡拉布雷的新石器时代遗迹, 奥克尼群岛, 苏格兰 The neolithic settlement of Skara Brae, Orkney, Scotland (© Paul Williams - FunkyStock/Getty Images)

斯卡拉布雷的新石器时代遗迹, 奥克尼群岛, 苏格兰 The neolithic settlement of Skara Brae, Orkney, Scotland (© Paul Williams - FunkyStock/Getty Images)

挖掘过去 Digging into the past

斯卡拉布雷

说起节日，考古可能不是人们首先想到的，但7月13日至28日举办的英国考古节将改变这一现状。自1990年创办以来，英国考古节已发展成一个为期两周的活动。从9月到7月的巧妙转变让考古迷们更容易探索夏季挖掘工作和各种文物奇迹。今年的主题是“考古与社区”，邀请英国各地的考古爱好者参加由遗产组织、地方协会和热心人士组织的一系列现场和虚拟活动。想象一下，站在苏格兰奥克尼群岛斯卡拉布雷古老的石屋中（如图所示），这是5000多年前，新石器时代的定居者繁衍生息的地方。这座史前奇迹因1850年的一场暴风雨而暴露，因其惊人的保存能力而被誉为“苏格兰庞贝古城”，它比巨石阵甚至大金字塔还要古老。因此，拿起你的小铲子，准备深入挖掘传奇的历史故事吧。谁知道你会发现什么呢？

Skara Brae, Orkney, Scotland

Imagine standing amid Skara Brae's ancient stone houses on Scotland's Orkney archipelago, pictured here, where Neolithic settlers thrived over 5,000 years ago. Village life ended sometime around 2500 BCE and for centuries the homes were buried beneath sand and earth, until they were uncovered by a storm in 1850. This prehistoric marvel is sometimes dubbed the 'Scottish Pompeii' due to its astonishing preservation—older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids. It's part of the wider Heart of Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage Site, alongside other prehistoric survivors including the huge Ring of Brodgar stone circle. If digging up the past appeals, the Festival of British Archaeology is running July 13-28. So, grab your trowel and get ready to dig deep into the incredible, storied past. Who knows what you'll discover!