Visit the dig site…virtually
Although the Ness excavation site will remain closed this summer, there’s still a number of ways to view the site.
In addition to our videos and 3D models, in June… Read more
Category: Excavation
Standing stones, incredible artefacts and Structure Ten’s sea eagle deposit – seasons 2018-2019
The final instalment in our series looking at how the Ness of Brodgar excavation has progressed, and ideas changed, over the years via dig director Nick Card’s annual brief summaries… Read more
Earlier buildings, the ‘Great Wall’ returns and Structure Ten’s deposited arm bone – seasons 2016-2017
Part six of our series looking at how excavation at the Ness of Brodgar progressed – and ideas changed – over the years, through dig director Nick Card’s annual brief… Read more
Human remains, pits and a stunning decorated stone – seasons 2014-2015
The fifth installment in our series looking at how excavation at the Ness of Brodgar progressed – and ideas changed – over the years, through dig director Nick Card’s annual… Read more
An exceptional axehead, Iron Age remodelling and a carved stone ball – seasons 2012-2013
Welcome to the fourth part in our series looking at how the Ness of Brodgar excavation has progressed – and ideas changed – over the years via dig director Nick… Read more
Evolution of an excavation: 2010-2011
The third in our series looking at how the Ness of Brodgar excavation has progressed, and ideas changed, over the years via dig director Nick Card’s annual brief summaries… Read more
From the archives – Re-opening Trench P
One from our video archive – work getting under way uncovering and cleaning up Trench P in July 2010.… Read more
Evolution of an excavation – the Ness dig year by year
At the time of writing, it is just over 17 years since the discovery of the Ness of Brodgar complex and 2020 will be the first time since 2003 that… Read more
Archive views – around the trenches in 2007
A cache of long-lost photographs from 2007, showing Trench J, (which was re-opened and extended in 2018), Trench M (opened to examine the extent of the “Great Wall of Brodgar“)… Read more
Trench P from a cherry picker – August 2010
These days when we need a picture of the site from above, Professor Scott Pike sends up his drone.
Back in 2010, “aerial” photographs relied on photographic towers or, in… Read more
Visitor information boards available to download
Each excavation season we have a series of information boards placed across the site for the benefit of the thousands of visitors we welcome each year.
Unfortunately, this year we… Read more
New additions to download archive
Two new PDFs are now available in our downloads archive.
The first, Painting a picture of Neolithic Orkney: decorated stonework from the Ness of Brodgar, is a paper by dig… Read more
Clickable trench views now online
When it comes to the Ness, the sheer number of Neolithic structures can be a little daunting when reading about the archaeology.
We’re currently sitting at 36 on site –… Read more
Debitage confirms pitchstone knapping in Structure Eight
With Travis, it is not enough to find just one piece of pitchstone – within hours of finding the rather nice blade yesterday, he appeared clutching a finds bag from… Read more
Another pitchstone fragment from the Ness
Another flake of Arran pitchstone has turned up during the analysis of soil samples from Structure Eight.
Pitchstone is a volcanic glass, similar to obsidian, and its nearest source is… Read more
Video – Trench P in 2008
Looking back it’s incredible to see the changes in the site over the past 12 years!
This short video – it was a test, hence the terrible quality – shows… Read more
From the Art Hut
This year the Art Hut hosted four artists: Jeanne Bouza Rose, Diane Eagles, Karen Wallis, and Annie Wright.
For the first four weeks of the excavation, Annie Wright took photos… Read more
