Category: News

The remarkable Neolithic ceremonial site at the Ness of Brodgar has a habit of springing surprises on those who work there. Ceramics specialist Roy Towers from the Archaeology Institute of the University of the Highlands and Islands was assessing a box full of pottery from the site when a surprising …

Since we sent out last month’s newsletter (if you have not signed up yet, click here) we’ve had a number of generous donations to the Ness excavation funds. To respect the privacy of donors we will obviously not be naming anyone but would like to take this opportunity to thank …

Long-time supporters of the Ness  Michael and Sara Sinclair have posted a video showing the creation of one of their wooden petropsheres. The auction of one of Michael’s stunning brass petrospheres raised £625 for excavation funds earlier this year. Much of Michael’s inspiration is derived from Orkney’s rich archaeological heritage, with …

Eagle-eyed Cecily has recovered another beautiful find from the flotation residues. After last week’s tiny bead, this time she has found a small fragment of thin flagstone, unusually decorated on both sides. One side of the fragment (pictured above) shows a clear “stacked chevrons” design.

Sometimes it’s the small things that astound — like this tiny stone bead discovered today. Measuring circa 2mm in diameter, the bead must have taken a steady hand and a sharp eye to create and was recovered by Cecily from the residue from an environmental sample taken in Structure Twenty-Six …

To the uninitiated, it might look as though Chris Marshall (right) has secured a sci-fi prop from a 1970s BBC TV programme (Blake’s Seven anyone?) What he is actually doing is testing out an RTI photography rig that will allow detailed examination and recording primarily of our decorated pottery and to …

Ness of Brodgar site director Nick Card is bound for China next week, to take part in a workshop on heritage management. Nick will travel to Xi’an for the event as an invited guest of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Hailed the birthplace of Chinese …

Thank you to all who have been in touch asking about volunteering opportunities at the 2019 excavation. All available places are now full. We have had hundreds of inquiries over the past few months — enough to fill the available spaces multiple times — and would like to thank everyone …

All the team at the Ness would like to send our congratulations to our resident geologist, who has been awarded her PhD. Dr Martha Johnson has worked at the Ness for several years now and her thesis was entitled Rock matters: A geological basis for understanding the rock at the …

Ness director Nick Card is pictured (right) in an article in the latest edition of British Archaeology magazine on the enigmatic carved stone balls of Scotland. Over 200 carved stone balls have been found in Scotland, the size of oranges and each distinctively decorated. They were made in the Neolithic, …

Was there an earlier name for the Ring of Brodgar? An Orcadian name that preceded the antiquarian title introduced in the mid 1800s? According to our very-own Sigurd Towrie, it seems there was – although the jury is still out on whether the name specifically referred to the stone circle …

At the end of last season, we mentioned the tremendous work done by Jim Bright, our photogrammetry expert, and Mark Newton, who produces wonderful physical 3D models from his printer. The example shown here is the first completed physical 3D model of our main Trench P, reproduced in detail through …

With six months to go until we resume excavation, the interest shown by people looking to volunteer on site in 2019 has again been overwhelming. Site director Nick has confirmed today that while we have no more space for non-experienced diggers or volunteers, there are a few places left for …