Category: News

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Words and images – Ness renga on sale to benefit excavation funds

In 2018, a group gathered at the Ness to capture the memories of the season’s excavation in words. They created a renga – a collaborative poetic form which originated in… Read more

News

Saturday, July 11, 2020

3D model sales give excavation funds a welcome boost

Our excavation fund received a major boost this week with the donation of profits from the sale of Ness of Brodgar 3D models. The framed models, sold by Mark Newton,… Read more

Dig director Nick Card updates 2018's first batch of diggers on the latest thinking on Trench P. (Sigurd Towrie)

News

Monday, July 6, 2020

‘It’s going to be a very strange summer for all of us…’

Today, Monday July 6, was the day the covers were due to come off at the Ness of Brodgar for the 2020 excavation season. But for the first time since… Read more

News

Sunday, July 5, 2020

No excavation this year but dig diary dusted off for 2020

The Ness of Brodgar covers were due to come off tomorrow, but this year there will be no excavation at the 5,000-year-old Neolithic complex. Hundreds of excavators from across the… Read more

Ness of Brodgar Carved Stone Ball replica

News

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Carved stone ball replicas sold out after tremendous fundraising response

The response to our carved stone ball replicas has been overwhelming and thank you all for your tremendous support. Unfortunately, however, we have no more left so can (temporarily) accept… Read more

News

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Ness director is Orkney.com’s photographer of the month

The photographs of Ness of Brodgar dig director Nick Card are showcased in this month’s newsletter from Orkney.com. A selection of Nick’s pictures can be found, along with an interview,… Read more

News

Monday, June 29, 2020

American Friends – postal address change

A note to American Friends of the Ness of Brodgar that the postal address for donations has changed to: American Friends of the Ness of Brodgar, Inc., PO Box 61041… Read more

News

Saturday, June 20, 2020

Summer dig season goes digital across Scotland

The Ness excavation is one of a number of archaeological projects across Scotland whose focus on the internet this summer is more important than ever. With much of this year’s… Read more

News / Wildlife

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

TV spot for Ness otters

Each summer season the Ness of Brodgar otters are as intriqued watching the archaeologists working on site as we are watching them. Tonight they feature on the latest episode of… Read more

A section of the Knowes of Trotty Barrow Cemetery. (Sigurd Towrie)

News

Monday, June 8, 2020

Orkney’s prehistory – the Bronze Age

Our brief guide to Orkney’s prehistory has been updated, with a new page outlining the Bronze Age in the islands. Click here to read.… Read more

News

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Knit for the Ness again – fundraising kits are back in stock…

We’re delighted to have our knitting kits back in the Ness online shop. We had to stop them for a while because we had Covid-19 related supply problems but these… Read more

Interior scene, set in Ness of Brodgar Structure Eight. (Alex Leonard © ALT_Animation)

News

Friday, May 29, 2020

Ness to take centre stage in new Neolithic animated movie

The Ness of Brodgar looks set to take play a major role in a new animated feature film set in Neolithic Orkney. Lugi: the Brodgar Boy is the brainchild of… Read more

Ness of Brodgar Article in Archaeology Magazine

News

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Ness article available after magazine archive goes free

In 2013, the Ness excavations featured in Archaeology magazine – a publication by the Archaeological Institute of America. For those who missed the article, now’s your chance to catch up… Read more

Site director Nick Card packs away the 'Open to the Public' sign at the end of 2019. We desperately need your help to make sure it sees the light of day again.

News

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Future of Ness excavation under threat – can you help?

The Covid-19 cancellation of the 2020 Ness of Brodgar excavation, and related fundraising activity, is having a serious impact on Ness funds. Contrary to what many people think, the Ness… Read more

News

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

A brief introduction to Orkney’s prehistory

At the Ness of Brodgar excavation site we have pieced together a biography that spans millennia – from traces of Mesolithic activity to the site’s Neolithic heyday, through to the… Read more

Site director Nick Card (far left) during the operation to move Structure Ten's massive threshold stone in 2019.

News

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Send us your queries for Ness question-and-answer sessions

In a few weeks, we’re planning to launch a series of online question-and-answer sessions in which dig director Nick Card will respond to queries submitted by fans of the Ness.… Read more

Downloads / News

Friday, April 10, 2020

‘Rock matters’ – Ness geologist’s PhD thesis available online

Last year we congratulated Martha Johnson, our resident geologist, for gaining her PhD for her thesis entitled Rock matters: A geological basis for understanding the rock at the Ness of… Read more

News

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

2020 pre-excavation lecture cancelled – but watch this space

It will come as no surprise that this year’s pre-excavation lecture by site director Nick Card has been cancelled. The talk was due to take place on June 18, in… Read more

News

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Archaeological review of 2019 released

A summary of last season’s work at the Ness is among the many articles featured in the new 2020 Orkney Archaeology Society annual review. The book, which is free to… Read more

News

Monday, April 6, 2020

Appeal for old photos of the Brodgar area

Do you have any old photos of the Ness of Brodgar you’d care to share with us? We are always on the look out for early photos of the Ness… Read more

News

Friday, March 20, 2020

Ness 2020 excavation cancelled

We are very sorry to announce that due to the present COVID-19 situation and uncertainties surrounding this, all excavation and fieldwork at the Ness of Brodgar this summer has been… Read more

A local source - a few of Orkney Tweed's flock.

News

Friday, March 13, 2020

Fundraising knitting packs now in stock

Since launching the first fundraising Ness knitting pattern back in January, we’ve been asked by many about how and where to get the wool. Good news. We’ve now got a… Read more