The F-word revisited
An update on project funding from Ness project officer Anne Mitchell. Read more
Category: Excavation
Dig Diary – Structure Thirty-Nine is no more but Twenty is getting bigger
Today’s decorated stone – found by Tristan in Structure One. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)
Day Twenty-ThreeWednesday, August 2, 2023
Just a few days after it was given a name, Structure Thirty-Nine… Read more
Diary Extra – Drone shots of Structures Ten and Twenty-Seven
A selection of photographs from today’s drone sessions.
Structure Ten. (📷 Scott Pike)
Structure Ten. (📷 Scott Pike)
Structure Ten. (📷 Scott Pike)
Interior of Ten, with Twenty bottom left.… Read more
Dig Diary – More decorated stone, pottery and unravelling the story of the ‘rockery with a roof’
A day of perfect weather, revelations and incredible finds. Read more
Diary Extra – Day Twenty-Two in pictures
A small selection of images from across the site today. Read more
Dig Diary – A new week and the christening of a new building!
Day Twenty-One
Monday, July 31, 2023
Another new week – the start of the fifth of this year’s excavation season.
And with it came a new intake of diggers –… Read more
Diary Extra – Day Twenty-One in pictures
A small selection of the photographs taken by Jo Bourne, all across the site, today.
Click on any image to enlarge and to show captions.… Read more
Dig Diary – Sunshine brings out the crowds for annual Ness open day
Open Day 2023 gets under way on site this morning. (📷 Jo Bourne)
Day TwentySunday, July 30, 2023
We truly couldn’t have wished for better conditions for an open day.… Read more
Latest 3d model shows all the Great Wall’s newly excavated section

Earlier in the season, Trench J’s supervisor, Paul Durdin, created a 3d model of the outer face of the northern boundary wall – the so-called “Great Wall of Brodgar”.… Read more
Diary Extra – Day Nineteen in pictures
Lovely to see Jo Bourne back on site, so here’s a selection of her pictures from today.
Click on any image for an enlarged version.… Read more
Dig Diary – Found it! Suspected hearth in Structure Twenty-Seven
All eyes on Structure Twenty-Seven this afternoon, where a possible hearth emerged. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)
Dig Diary – Day NineteenThursday, July 27
One thing you can always be sure of,… Read more
Diary Extra – Day Eighteen in pictures
A few photographs from across the site today. Click on any image for an enlargement.… Read more
Dig Diary – Wall after wall in Structure Twelve!
The dig team gather around Structure Twelve during this morning’s site tour. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)
Day EighteenWednesday, July 26
The day dawned bright, with a few drizzly showers about 1pm,… Read more
Dig Diary – Funerary role for Structure Twenty-Seven? Bookan cairn parallels resurface after today’s discoveries
There is no doubt that Structure Twenty-Seven is a puzzling building. Read more
Dig Diary – More evidence of Structure Twenty-Eight beneath our feet?
We kick off today’s diary with Structure Twelve, where there were a couple of surprises late in the day. Read more
Diary Extra – Day Fifteen in pictures
A selection of photographs from day 15. Click on any image for a larger version.… Read more
