Living landscapes > Archaeology and history
Archaeology and history
The archaeology of Scilly is internationally important - the many various remains scattered across the islands tell the story of at least four thousand years of human occupation.
English Heritage has identified more than 300 sites as Scheduled Ancient Monuments and the islands hold the greatest density of Bronze Age remains anywhere in the world.
The island of Samson (the largest of the uninhabited islands) is particularly important - experts can track occupation there from prehistoric through to post medieval times and thousands of visitors are drawn to visit each year by the romance of the uninhabited island, where nineteen ruined buildings remain.
The islands provide a superb visual illustration of the past for visitors and researchers.
A careful balance is required to ensure that wildlife is not distrubed and has space to thrive. For this reason we close certain uninhabited islands on a permanent basis or during bird and seal breeding seasons. Please visit our Boating and exploring Scilly's seas page for further information.
