Woodlands under the waves…
A talk by Dr Scott Timpany of the Archaeology Institute UHI on prehistoric woodlands preserved within intertidal peats around the coastline of Britain.
Here Scott explains the information these… Read more
Author: Sigurd
Introducing ceramics: An abundance of pottery
By Roy Towers
A coloured pottery sherd from Structure Twelve. (📷 ORCA)
When you think about the Ness of Brodgar one word which comes to mind is “abundance”…
There is… Read more
Behold the ‘Butterfly Stone’
Seven years ago today, what has become one of the most iconic finds from the Ness first saw the light of day. Read more
From the Art Hut – Hooked on the Neolithic
By Jeanne Bouza Rose
In the early 2000s, I got hooked on the Neolithic at the Ness. In 2012, both supplies and volunteers were in short supply.… Read more
Axes, maceheads and ‘Great Wall’ revelations
Diary – Thursday, July 23, 2020
Day Fourteen
The second week of the 2012 season got under way with the discovery of a human tooth inside Structure… Read more
From the Art Hut – it’s all about people
By Karen Wallis
My work is about human activity, whereas the focus at the Ness is on the evidence provided by objects – either the finds themselves or the structure… Read more
Rare bone pins, rarer wood and an enigmatic annexe from above
Diary – Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Day Thirteen
The first week of the 2011 excavation season ended on July 22, with the discovery of a… Read more
Otter’s starring role in this week’s Wednesday wildlife
This week’s selection of photographs from the camera of dig director Nick Card.
Click on any image for a larger version.… Read more
Coloured pottery, a Bronze Age arrowhead and an ‘eyebrow’ motif – a day of firsts for the Ness
Diary – Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Day Twelve
Colour was the theme on this day nine years ago.
Not only did we have another coloured stone… Read more
GIS – recording finds on a 3D site map
Alette recording find positions with the Total Station. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)
The position of everything found during excavation is recorded digitally in three dimensions. You will know that is what… Read more
Human arm bone added to list of Structure Ten buttress deposits
Diary – Monday, July 20, 2020Day Eleven
2011: Ray reveals the first hints of the third hearth in Structure Eight. (📷 ORCA)
There’s nothing like sifting through our archives to… Read more
Focus on finds: pumice
Pumice, a by-product of volcanic eruptions, played a significant role in Neolithic life, often used for its abrasive qualities. Read more
Awe and wonder in an age of reason – taking visitors to the Ness of Brodgar excavations
By Peter Yeoman
The greatest thing about a visit to the Ness is that it peoples the landscape of deep time, in a way that other prehistoric sites on Orkney… Read more
Threshold disappointment and a new rock art design revealed
Diary – Friday, July 17, 2020
Day Ten
It was day two on this day in 2012 and although the uncovering process had gone remarkably quickly, site… Read more
From the Art Hut – How and why the Ness and the Neolithic are in my paintings
By Jeanne Bouza Rose
I was leaving the heat of New York State and coming to Orkney for my summer holidays sometime in the early 2000s, having been drawn into… Read more
Decorated ‘dotted’ stone was a first for the Ness
Diary – Thursday, July 16, 2020
Day Nine
There was a new look to the site when the excavation team turned up on Monday, July 16, 2012.… Read more
