Around the Ness – ‘Little Barnhouse’ mound
By Sigurd Towrie Most visitors to the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site will be familiar with Maeshowe. Few, however, will know that what appears to be an equally large chambered cairn stands...
Ness of Brodgar Excavation Blog
Focus on Finds – multi-hollowed cobble tools
There have been some spectacular finds from the Ness of Brodgar. Polished stone axes, maceheads and, of course, our carved stone ball. But there is one class of worked stone that is perhaps not...
Just days left to enter carved stone ball competition
There’s just seven days left to win a replica of our carved stone ball and help Ness excavation funds into the bargain. So far we’ve had a marvellous response from all over the globe...
Wednesday wildlife – sailing off into the sunset
It’s Wednesday again, so time for some more photographs from around the Ness by site director Nick Card. A reminder that Nick’s pics now feature, along with National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson and the...
Around the Ness – the Comet Stone
“The old track now passes by a small, solitary standing stone slab, encircled in green for some distance around its base and finally merging again into heather.” George Marwick. The Standing Stones of Stenness...
Focus on finds – haematite
It was something that had long been suspected but we have abundant proof that colour was an important facet of life in Neolithic Orkney. Excavation at the Ness of Brodgar has revealed “painted” walls...
Ness wildlife and landscape cards launched
This week’s ornithological offering from site director Nick Card. Fans of Nick’s photography will be delighted to learn that a selection of his pictures feature in two new fundraising card packs that showcase the...
From the Art Hut – a large expression of colour
By Jeanne Bouza Rose For me, the mystery of the Ness is the story of what the people were doing there. During all the years I worked at the dig shop or in finds,...
Geology matters 3 – working stone
By Dr Martha Johnson Certain rocks have always been collected on archaeological sites – stone tools and implements that are classified as “Worked Stone”. They are meticulously assessed for aspects of work, how they...
