  200px|right|thumb|maeshowe entrance maeshowe (or maes howe; norse: orkhaugr) is a neolithic chambered cairn and passage grave situated on mainland, orkney, scotland. it was probably built around . it gives its name to the maeshowe type of chambered cairn, which is limited to orkney. maeshowe is a significant example of neolithic craftsmanship and is, in the words of the archaeologist stuart piggott, "a superlative monument that by its originality of execution is lifted out of its class into a unique position."pigott 1954 the monuments around maeshowe, including skara brae, were designated a unesco world heritage site in 1999. ==design and construction== maeshowe is one of the largest tombs in orkney; the mound encasing the tomb is  in diameter and rises to a height of .childe 1952, p. 18 surrounding the mound, at a distance of  to  is a ditch up to  wide. the grass mound hides a complex of passages and chambers built of carefully crafted slabs of flagstone weighing up to 30 tons.lost worlds: "the pagans (of britain)" history channel series with contributions from historian prof. ronald hutton, archeologists erika guttmann and martin carruthers it is aligned so that the rear wall of its central chamber held up by a bracketed wall,dargie 2007, p. 12. is illuminated on the winter solstice.hedges 1984, p. 160 a similar display occurs in newgrange. 200px|right|thumb|cross sections of maeshowe this entrance passage is  long and leads to the central almost square chamber measuring about  on each side.c
3rd-millennium_BC_architecture_in_Scotland Archaeoastronomy Archaeological_museums_in_Scotland Archaeological_sites_in_Orkney Historic_Scotland_properties_in_Orkney Megalithic_monuments_in_Scotland Museums_in_Orkney Neolithic_Scotland Prehistoric_Orkney Runic_inscriptions Scheduled_Ancient_Monuments_in_Scotland Viking_Age_sites_in_Scotland World_Heritage_Sites_in_Scotland