Introducing ceramics 3 – how was Neolithic pottery made?
How was Neolithic pottery made, and in particular the Grooved Ware pottery from the Ness of Brodgar? Read more
Author: Sigurd
The momentous day we found our carved stone ball
2012: Exposed rubble deposits at the south end of Structure Eight. (📷 ORCA)
Dig Diary – Friday, August 7, 2020Day Twenty-Five
2012: The Structure Twelve coloured pot sherd. (📷 ORCA)… Read more
Degrees of separation – a brief guide to the flotation process
The recovery of large artefacts, such as stone tools and pottery, is just one part of the excavation process. What about the tiny items and organic material that are a… Read more
Three new buildings and a decommissioning feast for Structure Twenty-Seven
Dig Diary – Thursday, August 6, 2020
Day Twenty-Four
We begin today in 2012 – another damp day in which activity on site was hampered by rain.
In Structure Ten,… Read more
The first excavation at the Ness
Anyone who has been on a tour of the Ness will be familiar with the story of the notched slab that started it all.
The slab, which had been ploughed… Read more
From the Art Hut – finding finds…
By Karen Wallis
During my first season as Artist in Residence, I was impressed by the range of what could be termed a “find” – from decorated stone on the… Read more
Cupmarks galore around Structure Twelve entrance
Dig Diary – Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Day Twenty-Three
Friday, August 5, 2011, was another day of roof tiles in Structure Eight.
After recovering over 370 examples in the building,… Read more
Wildlife Wednesday – week sixteen
Another selection of photographs from the camera of dig director Nick Card. Click on any image for a larger version… Read more
A day of site-wide revelations…
Dig Diary – Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Day Twenty-Two
Wednesday, August 4, 2011, was a day of revelations in Trench P.
Working in Structure Fourteen it became clear that the… Read more
Reconstruction drawing – Neolithic girl and puppy
The post discusses a reconstruction of a young girl and her dog, based on the finds from the Ness of Brodgar. Read more
A plethora of exquisite polished stone artefacts!
Dig Diary – Monday, August 3, 2020
Day Twenty-One
August 2011 began with a plethora of finds from Structure Eight.
Following the discovery of a “toolkit” a few days before,… Read more
Focus on finds: worked bone
Due to acidic soil, bone preservation is rare, with surviving pieces often in poor condition. Read more
Orcadian woodturner inspired by the Neolithic and the Ness
Here is a link to a conversation Michael Sinclair had last year about his work as a wood turner, and his inspiration from Orkney’s Neolithic.
Michael and Sara have been… Read more
Introducing ceramics 2: The excavation process
By Roy Towers
A large sherd of decorated Grooved Ware pottery ready to be lifted. (ORCA)
Pottery is remarkable stuff. It may be broken, kicked about, scuffed and generally disrespected,… Read more
‘The most incredible piece of Neolithic decoration found on site’
Seven years ago today was a day to remember. It was the day that the most incredible piece of Neolithic decoration found on site to date emerged from the interior of Structure Ten. Read more
Video: Stone spatulate tools from the Ness of Brodgar
Archaeology Institute UHI graduate Gary Lloyd was awarded a Carnegie Vacation Scholarship to complete the research, which focused on the spoon-like artefacts, of which over 80 have been found to date. Read more
