The Ness of Brodgar Project

(📷 Jo Bourne)
Ness of Brodgar - As it Stands

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.

About the Site
The discovery of the Ness complex
Post-excavation
The coloured pottery sherd from Structure Twelve.

Ceramics

Another sherd of coloured pottery

While Roy Towers our ceramics expert was studying some pot from the later phases of Structure Twelve, he came across another rather fine example of coloured pottery. This body sherd… Read more

Excavation / News

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

3D Model / Excavation

Trench J in all its 3D glory…

<span data-mce-type=”bookmark” style=”display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;” class=”mce_SELRES_start”></span> Trench J, and with it Structures Five and Thirty-Two and the “Great Wall of Brodgar”, may have been covered… Read more