Rare 3,500-Year-Old Chariot Wheel Discovered at Golf Course in Scotland

[Judi Lynn]

By
Nisha Zahid
April 25, 2025



Inverness, Scotland. Credit: Heather Cowper / CC BY-NC 2.0

Archaeologists have uncovered a rare chariot wheel at the site of a planned championship golf course near Inverness, Scotland, offering fresh insight into prehistoric life in the Scottish Highlands.

The find emerged during early excavations for the Old Petty Championship Golf Course, a development by the renowned firm Cabot.

The wooden wheel, buried within a cremation pit, is believed to be several thousand years old and may have played a role in ancient ceremonial practices. Experts say it is the first of its kind found in the Highlands and only the fifth chariot component ever discovered in Scotland.

Experts stunned by rare find

Andy Young, principal archaeologist at Avon Archaeology Highland, described the moment of discovery as unexpected. “They are such a rare thing,” he said. “None of us had really seen one before in terms of physically excavating one.”

At first, Young assumed the wheel belonged to modern equipment, but further analysis confirmed its historic value. “I was initially a bit dismissive,” he said.

More:
https://greekreporter.com/2025/04/25/chariot-wheel-golf-course-scotland/

[LastDemocratInSC]

1. Geez, I'm surprised they knew about golf back then.

But they certainly had the equivalent of golf carts. I bet the horses tore up the greens.