Thom and his father made other controversial contentions, for example, that Brodgar and the burial mounds that surround it were designed specifically as backsights for astronomical observations of the Moon. Graham Ritchie points out that the burial mounds have not been reliably dated, and he casts doubt on the astronomical prowess of the builders. Euan MacKie suggested that the nearby village of Skara Brae might be the home of a privileged theocratic class of wise men who engaged in astronomical and magical ceremonies at sites like Brodgar and Stenness. Graham and Anna Ritchie cast doubt on this interpretation noting that there is no archaeological evidence for the claim, although a Neolithic "low road" connects Skara Brae with the chambered tomb of Maeshowe, passing near Brodgar and Stenness. Low roads connect Neolithic ceremonial sites throughout Britain. Cultural impact The Ring of Brodgar features in Kathleen Fidler's 1968 novel The Boy with the Bronze Axe; here, it is depicted in a midsummer ceremony in which a lamb is sacrificed. In Fidler's story, women are forbidden from entering the Ring, which is a male-only space. In Troika Games 2001 title Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, the Ring of Brodgar appears in the town of Roseborough and is pivotal to the plot. See also Prehistoric Orkney Notes References External links Buildings and structures completed in the 3rd millennium BC 1849 archaeological discoveries World Heritage Sites in Scotland Archaeological sites in Orkney Stone circles in Orkney Prehistoric Orkney Stone Age sites in Scotland Henges Historic Scotland properties in Orkney Tourist attractions in Orkney Scheduled monuments in Scotland Neolithic Scotland Archaeoastronomy Mainland, Orkney Heart of Neolithic Orkney