Handmade carved stone ball up for auction to boost Ness funds
Yesterday we told you about the gorgeous carved stone ball replica created by Chris Gee and donated to the Ness of Brodgar Trust.… Continue reading
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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 -
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 -
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
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
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
A first for the Ness – Neolithic wood has survived in Structure Twelve post-holes
Dig Diary – Day Twenty-Five
Friday, July 30, 2021
Over the years of excavation the Ness has produced so many surprises that some archaeologists thought we had exhausted all the possibilities.… Continue reading
Removal of Trench J ‘landmark’ yields animal bone deposit
Dig Diary – Day Twenty-Four
Thursday, July 29, 2021
An air of calm stillness hung over the Ness excavation today.
This was due, in part, to a thick veil of mist that enveloped the site all day and which, at times, not only seemed to muffle sound but made it difficult to see one end of the trench from another.… Continue reading
Round-bottomed pottery discovery confirms early date for Structure Five
Dig Diary – Day Twenty-Three
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
We have really exciting news today from Structure Five – that enigmatic building huddled just inside the “Great Wall of Brodgar” and undoubtedly one of the oldest buildings on site.… Continue reading
Shoddy building work, new procedures and a fossil fish!
Dig Diary – Day Twenty-Two
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Structure Twelve’s northern annex. It’s been called many things over the years – an add-on; a porch; a vestibule.… Continue reading
Structure Five in 3D
A new, fully-interactive 3D model of Structure Five created by Trench J supervisor Paul Durdin.
Earlier models of the building, the earliest excavated on site to date, can be viewed and compared here.… Continue reading
Remnants of a Neolithic snack unearthed outside Structure Twelve
Dig Diary – Day Twenty-One
Monday, July 26, 2021
Well, here’s something new…rain!
Twenty-four hours ago the weather in Orkney was blistering.… Continue reading
New 3D model of Structure Twelve pot sherd’s decorated face
A new week…a new 3D model.
On July 19, we shared the model of a huge Grooved Ware pot sherd from outside the blocked-up north-west entrance to Structure Twelve.… Continue reading
Over one-million page views for Ness of Brodgar website
The Ness of Brodgar website has reached a milestone – reaching, and rocketing past, one million page views.
Technically, the dig diary broke that barrier many years ago, but in 2017 we switched to our own domain after being hosted by Orkneyjar.com… Continue reading
From the Art Hut – ‘Intent’
Owing to the Ness dig being scaled back this year because of Covid restrictions, I have again moved my artist residency to Instagram posts during the main weeks of the excavation.… Continue reading
Finds, floors and a film premiere!
Dig Diary – Day Twenty
Friday, July 23, 2021
The Ness has had many notable “firsts” but today we became one of the very, very few archaeological sites worldwide to host a film premiere.… Continue reading
Dig Diary Extra – views from above
A selection of this afternoon’s drone photographs from Structure Twelve supervisor Jim Rylatt.… Continue reading
Saddle quern fragment recovered from Structure Twelve
Dig Diary – Day Nineteen
Thursday, July 22, 2021
We’ll begin today’s diary in Structure Ten, where dig director Nick and supervisors Jo and Sinead got together to formulate a strategy for tackling the enigma of missing floors in sections of the building.… Continue reading
Is Structure Five earlier than the ‘Great Wall of Brodgar’?
Dig Diary – Day Eighteen
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
We’ll start today with three interesting developments in Structure Twelve.
Working just outside the south wall Ole has found a striking piece of fine pottery.… Continue reading
