# Maeshowe: The Ancient Meadow Mound of Orkney — WHE Definition Discussion

**URL:** <https://community.worldhistory.org/t/maeshowe-the-ancient-meadow-mound-of-orkney-whe-definition-discussion/16244>\
**Category:** WHE Articles\
**Created:** [October 24, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://community.worldhistory.org/t/maeshowe-the-ancient-meadow-mound-of-orkney-whe-definition-discussion/16244 "2012-10-24T14:40:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JPryst](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/community.worldhistory.org/jpryst/32/168_2.png) [@JPryst](https://community.worldhistory.org/u/JPryst)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://community.worldhistory.org/t/maeshowe-the-ancient-meadow-mound-of-orkney-whe-definition-discussion/16244/1 "2012-10-24T14:40:18Z")

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Maeshowe (pronounced `maze-ow' or `maze-oo') is a large Neolithic chambered cairn, dating from between 3000-2800 BCE, in the Stenness parish of Orkney, Scotland. According to Dr. Berit Sandnes, of Lund University, the name means "Meadow Mound" and comes from Old Scandinavian; the present location of both Maeshowe and the nearby site of the Maesquoy Standing Stones are thought to have originally been meadows.

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_This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at [https://www.worldhistory.org/Maeshowe/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Maeshowe/)._

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**Author:** ![JPryst](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/community.worldhistory.org/jpryst/32/168_2.png) [@JPryst](https://community.worldhistory.org/u/JPryst)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2026, 5:41pm UTC](https://community.worldhistory.org/t/maeshowe-the-ancient-meadow-mound-of-orkney-whe-definition-discussion/16244/2 "2026-07-30T17:41:25Z")

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