Wednesday wildlife – otters at work and play
The first week of 2021 and the Ness of Brodgar otters have been out and about, as these pictures from site director Nick Card show.… Read more
From 2004, 20 years of excavation on the Ness of Brodgar revealed a huge complex of monumental Neolithic buildings from the centuries around 3000BC.
Without parallel in Atlantic Europe, the site’s three hectares are filled with huge stone structures containing spectacular finds.
These made the Ness one of the most important archaeological sites in the world today, changing our understanding of Neolithic Orkney and shining a new light on the prehistory of northern Europe.
Fieldwork ended in 2024 and the focus is now on the post-excavation analysis of the data gathered. This will lead to full publication with much more available online.
In addition, we will continue working with local communities and schools to develop educational and other resources.
The project is mainly funded through the generosity of the public through our two supporting charities, the Ness of Brodgar Trust and the American Friends.
Barnhouse – Structure Eight
Around 3000BC, some 200 years after the founding of the Barnhouse settlement, a “building of monumental proportions” was erected on the site of a meeting area on the village outskirts. Read more
Another happy contributor…
It’s been a strange year – of that there is no doubt – and we’ve reached the end of 2020.
Although it will be remembered for the things we couldn’t… Read more
Wednesday wildlife – on the lochs
As 2020 draws to a close, site director Nick has been out and about around the Ness with his camera.… Read more
Barnhouse – House Two
For three centuries the Barnhouse settlement was dominated by a structure unlike any of the others in the village. Labelled House Two, it was also unique among Neolithic buildings in Orkney until the Ness of Brodgar complex appeared on the scene in 2003. Read more
The Barnhouse Settlement
In December 1984, evidence of a Neolithic village was found 150 metres (164 yards) to the north of the Stones of Stenness, at the southern end of the Harray loch. Read more
Rhind Lectures 2020: Number 6
All change around 2500/2400 BC? End of the ‘Scottish Neolithic’ and the future of Neolithic studies
The last of this year’s Society of Antiquaries of Scotland’s annual Rhind lectures,… Read more
Rhind Lectures 2020: Number 5
‘Not just a load of old balls’: Late Neolithic developments and the creation of a new world order
In this year’s Society of Antiquaries of Scotland’s annual Rhind lectures,… Read more
Rhind Lectures 2020: Number 4
Making sense of funerary monuments and funerary practices
In this year’s Society of Antiquaries of Scotland’s annual Rhind lectures, Dr Alison Sheridan is bringing together the most up-to-date research… Read more
Rhind Lectures 2020: Number 3
An everyday story of country folk?
In this year’s Society of Antiquaries of Scotland’s annual Rhind lectures, Dr Alison Sheridan is bringing together the most up-to-date research to show… Read more
Textile evidence from the Ness among Scotland’s ‘most groundbreaking archaeological discoveries’ of 2020
Evidence of a woven Neolithic textile found during post-excavation work at the Ness has been named one of Scotland’s “most groundbreaking discoveries of 2020”.
The Covid pandemic has had a… Read more
Rhind Lectures 2020: Number 2
The Big Picture and Regional Narratives
In this year’s Society of Antiquaries of Scotland’s annual Rhind lectures, Dr Alison Sheridan is bringing together the most up-to-date research to show… Read more
Rhind Lectures 2020: Number 1
Neolithic Scotland: Changing Perceptions, New Approaches, Plethora of Data, and Contested Narratives
In this year’s Society of Antiquaries of Scotland’s annual Rhind lectures, Dr Alison Sheridan is bringing together… Read more
2020 Rhind lectures focus on Neolithic Scotland
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland’s annual Rhind lectures begin tomorrow, Sunday, and this year the focus is firmly on the Neolithic.
From December 13 until December 18, Dr Alison… Read more
