The Ness of Brodgar excavation featured in the February 2018 edition of Current Archaeology magazine. But such was the demand that all printed copies sold out quickly. However, thanks to the good folk at Current Archaeology, there is a PDF of the article for those who were unable to secure …
In a week that saw Structure Eight produce numerous examples of decorated stone, we also received a number of photographs of Ness artefacts that have undergone conservation work by experts on the Scottish mainland. Among these were three of the decorated slab recovered from Structure Eight on August 17, 2015. …
Wednesday, August 7, 2013, was a special day in the history of the Ness of Brodgar excavations. That was the day our only example of a carved stone ball was found at the Ness. Over 200 carved stone balls have been found in Scotland. Roughly the size of an orange …
This weekend sees our first “Special Sunday” of the season. The excavation site will be open to the public from 11am until 4pm, with diggers working on site all day. In addition to tours running continuously throughout the day, there will be a number of other things to do and …
Open and on-site for the duration of the dig is the visitor gift shop. The shop is there to raise much-needed funds for the dig. This year it has been my good fortune to come to the Ness and look after the shop for the summer. Less than two weeks …
A link to the BBC article on this week’s finds from Structure Eight: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-49030379
Day Fourteen Revelations and cloud dodging Oh what would we give for a day of uninterrupted excavation! Thursday dawned bright and reasonably clear and as the morning wore on the site and digger alike basked in the warmth of the sun. Then it went wrong. Clouds rolled in and within …
Perhaps not as grand as the examples earlier this week, but another decorated stone slab was found in Structure Eight today. The incised decoration is essentially the same “classic” banded design featured on Monday’s stone very ephemeral and faint.
Rain brought excavation to a halt early today. But here’s a selection of pictures. Click on a thumbnail for a larger version. Photographs by Jo Bourne and Sigurd Towrie.
Day Thirteen Raising the threshold stone This is the day that all true aficionados of Structure Ten have longed for. Over the years the massive threshold stone in the very entrance of the structure has been the source of fevered speculation. It’s a threshold stone…it is in a crucial position …
Decorated Stone Removed from Structure Eight/Seventeen on July 15, 2019
After yesterday’s discovery, we thought it couldn’t get any better. Then today, as the weary excavators began making their way home, the Structure Eight team emerged from the building clutching another large decorated stone. This stone is decidedly different, however. Instead of the incised chevrons, triangles and zigzags we’ve come …
