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
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.
Trench J in all its 3D glory…
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Trench J, and with it Structures Five and Thirty-Two and the “Great Wall of Brodgar”, may have been covered… Read more
A day of sandbags, tarps and tyres…
It’s been a long, hard day of manual labour in some not-so-pleasant weather conditions, but we’ve covered over around 90 percent of the site.
Aided by volunteers from the public… Read more
Dig Diary – Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Day Thirty-Eight
Physical traces of a Neolithic potter?
This, dear readers, is our last diary of the 2019 excavation season at the Ness.
You will have realised that there are… Read more
Dig Diary – Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Day Thirty-SevenHuman bone and a standing stone…Andy Boyar excavating the human ulna within Structure Ten this afternoon. (📷 Ole Thoenies)Andy excavating the fragile human arm bone in Structure Ten. (📷… Read more
…and another potential standing stone
And with two days to go, it seems we might have yet another standing stone in Trench P.
More details to follow…… Read more
Second human arm bone found inside Structure Ten
A very interesting day in Structure Ten today, where a second human arm bone was found in association with the south-western buttress inside the building.
We’re writing today’s blog post… Read more
Dig Diary – Monday, August 19, 2019
Day Thirty-Six
Last week syndrome…
There is such a thing in Orcadian archaeology as “last week syndrome” when, as everything winds down towards the end of the excavation, something interesting… Read more
Dig Diary – Sunday, August 18, 2019
Day Thirty-Five
Sunshine and crowds at the Ness
Our second and final ‘Special Sunday’ open day of the season took place today, with over 1,000 visitors recorded at the excavation… Read more
Day Thirty-Four in pictures . . .
A selection of pictures from across the site from Jo and Sigurd.
Click on the images for larger versions.… Read more
Aerial shots from Day Thirty-Four
A selection of drone shots from yesterday from Professor Scott Pike.… Read more
Farewell Bryn . . . you will be missed by all
We are very sad to announce, after battling a long illness, the passing away of Bryn, the director’s site dog and the real director of the Ness.
He will be missed by us all, and by all… Read more
Dig Diary – Thursday, August 15, 2019
Day Thirty-Four
Paperwork, plans and finds
With just days to go until the 2019 excavation draws to a close, the site was abuzz with activity today.
Needless to say, with… Read more
Decorated stone covered today’s animal bone deposit
As mentioned in today’s dig diary, Bruce lifted a flagstone beside one of the standing stones flanking the entrance to Structure Twelve to reveal a large spread of animal bone.… Read more
