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The Ness of Brodgar Project

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The Ness of Brodgar Project

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Links / Post-excavation

Friday, June 20, 2025

Link: Data from Ness hearths suggests shift in magnetic field around 3000BC

Archaeomagnetic data from hearths at the Ness of Brodgar suggests a major change in the planet’s magnetic field over two centuries around 3000BC. Read more
(📷 Sigurd Towrie)

Education / Geophysics / Post-excavation

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Geophysics day seven – depth-scanning and a new batch of beginners

As we "depth-scanned" areas of the site today, our second open afternoon took place in the afternoon. Read more
(📷 Sigurd Towrie)

Geophysics / Post-excavation

Monday, June 16, 2025

Geophysics day six – phase one surveys all but complete

With the surveys of most of the excavation site complete, the next stage is to return to earlier areas for some more detailed scanning. Read more
(📷 Sigurd Towrie)

Focus on Finds / Post-excavation

Friday, June 13, 2025

Focus on finds: a natural explanation for Seventeen’s stone sphere?

The stone ball found in Structure Seventeen in 2024 may have been formed by the action of water in a Scottish river. Read more
(📷 Sigurd Towrie)

Education / Geophysics / Post-excavation

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Geophysics day three – thumbs up from Time Team’s John Gater

Day three and we've made great progress as well as welcoming our first group of trainees to site. Read more
Chris Gee carrying out the magnetometry scan this morning. (📷 Paul Durdin)

Geophysics / Post-excavation

Monday, June 9, 2025

Geophysics project to resurvey entire site gets off to a cracking start

Our two-week project to geophysically survey the entire Ness of Brodgar excavation site got under way today. Read more
Ness of Brodgar: Past, Present and Future

Exhibition

Monday, June 9, 2025

Ness summer exhibition opens in Maeshowe visitor centre

An exhibition on the Ness of Brodgar project is running in the Maeshowe visitor centre, Stenness, until September 28. Read more
Structure Twenty-Seven reconstruction. (📷 Paul Durdin)

Video

Friday, June 6, 2025

Video: ARP 2025 – ‘Ness of Brodgar: saving the best till last’

The recording of Nick Card's talk at the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Archaeological Research in Progress 2025 conference in Edinburgh. Read more
Picture: National Museums Scotland

Chambered Cairns / Video

Friday, June 6, 2025

Video: ARP 2025 – ‘(Re)discovering a Neolithic passage grave at Blomuir, Holm, Orkney’

The recording of Dr Hugo Anderson-Whymark's talk on the Blomuir chambered cairn, Holm, at the Archaeological Research in Progress 2025 conference. Read more
A packed house at the premiere of Ness of Brodgar: Past, Present and Future. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

Exhibition / Video

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Video: Past, Present and Future – Ness of Brodgar exhibition film

Mark Jenkins' film of last summer's Ness of Brodgar: Past, Present and Future exhibition in the Orkney Museum is now available to view online. Read more
One of the pupils' decorated stones. (📷 Katy Firth)

Education

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Pupils investigate Neolithic decoration as part of KGS activities week

Bringing the Ness to Orkney schools - our education officer Katy has been working with pupils from Kirkwall Grammar School and Glaitness Primary. Read more
The two structures at the Knap of Howar. (Wikimedia Commons)

Further Afield / Settlements

Monday, June 2, 2025

Not as early as once thought – reassessment confirms suspected Knap of Howar timeline

A new paper on the Knap of Howar has confirmed that the two Neolithic structures are much later than once thought. Read more

Chambered Cairns / Further Afield

Friday, May 30, 2025

New ORCA report details 1985 Vinquoy excavation for the first time

The UHI Archaeology Institute has published a report of the 1985 re-excavation of the Vinquoy Hill chambered cairn, dedicating it to the late Jacqui Marwick, the archaeologist who led the operation. Read more
(📷 Sigurd Towrie)

News

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Packed house for Nick and Mark in conversation at the Orkney Theatre

A packed house greeted Nick and Mark at the Orkney Theatre last night, when they took to the stage for the Orkney Archaeology Society "in conversation" event. Read more
View over Trench T. (📷 Tom O'Brien)

News

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Summary of final fieldwork season in new Orkney Archaeology Review

A summary of the 2024 excavation at the Ness is among the articles in the new Orkney Archaeology Review, which has been delivered to members of the Orkney Archaeology Society (OAS). Read more
Ness visit featured

Ceramics / Post-excavation

Monday, May 26, 2025

Fingerprint specialist drops in at Ness HQ during Scottish road trip

Professor Kent Fowler, from the University of Manitoba, paid us a visit last week during his road trip around Scotland. Read more
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Top Posts & Pages

  • Time Team Special to premiere in Orkney ahead of return to the Ness
    Time Team Special to premiere in Orkney ahead of return to the Ness
  • Visiting the site
    Visiting the site
  • We're back on site! Time Team dig plans confirmed for 2026
    We're back on site! Time Team dig plans confirmed for 2026
  • Prehistoric 'jigsaw' reveals stunning example of Neolithic pottery decoration
    Prehistoric 'jigsaw' reveals stunning example of Neolithic pottery decoration
  • The Structures
    The Structures
  • Palaeolithic and Mesolithic
    Palaeolithic and Mesolithic
  • Skara Brae
    Skara Brae
  • The Ring of Brodgar
    The Ring of Brodgar
  • Maeshowe - historic additions, incursions and the Norse runes
    Maeshowe - historic additions, incursions and the Norse runes
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Ness of Brodgar
Stenness, Orkney
info@nessofbrodgar.co.uk

Please note: The fieldwork element of the Ness of Brodgar project ended in August 2024 and the excavation site is now closed to the public. Our focus is now on post-excavation analysis.

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