The Ness of Brodgar Excavation

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News

Friday, September 17, 2021

Touching our ancestors – the Ness and the SPOTtimespotTIME artwork

By Elaine Robinson Having had a lifelong interest in archaeology, imagine my excitement from the point of view as an artist who has been collecting fingerprints since 2015, when my attention was drawn to an article in April 2021 detailing the discovery of a 5,000-year-old fingerprint at the Ness of Brodgar.… Continue reading
News

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Ness MRes studentship now available at UHI Archaeology Institute

A part-funded Masters by Research (MRes) studentship focusing on the faunal assemblage at the Ness of Brodgar is now available at the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute.… Continue reading
Around the Ness

Friday, September 10, 2021

Enclosing the midden mound – Iron Age activity at the Ness

By Sigurd Towrie Although the Ness of Brodgar is best known for its Neolithic archaeology, the isthmus was a focus of activity throughout prehistory and history.… Continue reading
Geology / Video

Sunday, September 5, 2021

Video – ‘Why Rocks?’

Today’s Orkney International Science Festival talk by Dr Martha Johnson, highlighting the Ness of Brodgar rocks that don’t fit the local geology, and showing clues to their origins.… Continue reading

Three of the five polished stone axes found on site this summer. See them, and more, at Sunday's Open Day.

Video

Sunday, September 5, 2021

Video – ‘The Ness in Rock and Stone’

Today’s Orkney International Science Festival talk featuring Ness of Brodgar site director Nick Card, Ann Clark and Dr Antonia Thomas of the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute.… Continue reading

Polished stone tools (Hugo Anderson-Whymark)

News

Thursday, September 2, 2021

31st Orkney International Science Festival begins today with Ness talk scheduled for Sunday

The 31st annual Orkney International Science Festival begins today, Thursday, September 2, and runs until September 8. On Sunday, September 5, the Dr Raymond Lamb Memorial Lecture is entitled The Ness in Rock and Stone and outlines some of the insights gained from the study of finds from the site.… Continue reading

The fourth fingerprint found on clay sherds at the Ness of Brodgar.

Ceramics / Post-excavation

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Fourth fingerprint from Ness pottery belonged to an adult male

Examination of a fourth fingerprint found on pottery sherds from the Ness of Brodgar suggests it was left by an adult male.… Continue reading

Excavation / Video

Monday, August 16, 2021

Video: ‘I helped cover a 5,000-year-old monument with worn-out tyres’

News

Friday, August 13, 2021

Carved stone ball auction raised £425 for excavation funds

Our auction of a carved stone ball replica ended today at 5pm and raised £425 for Ness excavation funds. The handmade, red sandstone artefact was created by Chris Gee, who donated it to the Ness of Brodgar Trust.… Continue reading

Excavation

Thursday, August 12, 2021

The final find of the season…before the cover-up began

Just when you think it’s all over, we have one last find to share with you – a delicately incised stone from Trench J.… Continue reading

Excavation

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

That’s excavation done for another year so thank you all

Dig Diary – Day Thirty-Three Wednesday, August 11, 2021 Ah well, the inevitable has happened and this is our last day of excavation at the wonderful Ness of Brodgar.… Continue reading

Excavation

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

One day left to visit the Ness before the site closes to the public

Dig Diary – Day Thirty-Two Tuesday, August 10, 2021 How time flies. The end of the season is nigh and if you’ve yet to visit the site, tomorrow is the last day it’s open to the public.… Continue reading

Excavation

Monday, August 9, 2021

Another hammerstone and a site awash with planning frames

Dig Diary – Day Thirty-One Monday, August 9, 2021 Well, readers, this is the beginning of the last week of the excavation campaign for this year.… Continue reading

Excavation

Friday, August 6, 2021

A decorated stone slab on the floor of Structure Thirty-Two

Dig Diary – Day Thirty Friday, August 6, 2021 It’s been a quiet sort of day at The Ness, with the only real noise and disturbance coming from a boisterous wind which has whistled and nagged across the site and, as the day draws to a close, seems only to be increasing in volume.… Continue reading

Excavation

Thursday, August 5, 2021

‘Painted’ stone in Structure Ten and a marvellous illustration of our puzzling pot

Dig Diary – Day Twenty-Nine Thursday, August 5, 2021 So here we are rapidly approaching the end of our penultimate week of excavation. … Continue reading

Ceramics / Excavation

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

A puzzling piece of pottery!

Dig Diary – Day Twenty-Eight Wednesday, August 4, 2021 Today has been busy, with sultry weather and, as close of play draws near, some dramatic thunder and lightning However, work goes on and in the finds hut Anne is preparing to pack the very large pot which was found outside the blocked north-western entrance of Structure Twelve.… Continue reading

Excavation

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Can you help us cover the site next week?

Do you have a couple of hours (or more) to spare on Thursday, August 12, or Friday, August 13? Yes, it’s that time of year again when we call for hardy volunteers to help us cover over the site for the winter.… Continue reading

Excavation / Video

Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Dig Diary Extra: Dr Jo McKenzie successfully recovers first timber sample

A video of Jo recovering the first of two Neolithic timber samples from the interior of Structure Twelve today. Apologies for the sound quality – the Orcadian wind is impossible to escape, even in the summer!… Continue reading

Excavation

Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Objects of beauty and a mission accomplished

Dig Diary – Day Twenty-Seven Tuesday, August 3, 2021 Imagine the situation. At your feet are probably the only two examples of Neolithic timber inside a structure and in a secure context found in Orkney to date.… Continue reading

Excavation

Monday, August 2, 2021

Preparations under way to recover prehistoric timber from Structure Twelve

Dig Diary – Day Twenty-Six Monday, August 2, 2021 We have a very special offer today, not, we are sad to say, for diary readers, or even for visitors to the site, but for fellow archaeologists.… Continue reading