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The Ness of Brodgar Project

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The Ness of Brodgar Project

Decorated Stone from Structure Ten
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Neolithic 'sun stones' from the Bornholm. (đź“· National Museum of Denmark)

Links

Monday, January 27, 2025

Link: Danish archaeologists propose Late Neolithic volcanic eruption turned the skies dark over northern Europe

Archaeologists and climate scientists from the University of Copenhagen have proposed a large volcanic eruption around 2900BC “made the sun disappear throughout Northern Europe”. Read more
The Knowe of Lairo, Rousay.

Chambered Cairns / Further Afield

Thursday, January 23, 2025

The Knowe of Lairo – remodelled to emulate Maeshowe or something completely different?

This week we're looking at the Knowe of Lairo in Rousay - another enigmatic Neolithic chambered cairn unlike any other in Orkney. But what was going on? Read more
Antonia in Trench P.

Art Hut

Monday, January 20, 2025

Capturing the essence of excavation in paint

A selection of Jeanne Rose's trench-side sketches-in-paint from the 2024 dig season. Read more
Knowe of Rowiegar header

Chambered Cairns / Further Afield / Links

Friday, January 17, 2025

Link: New research suggests differing mortuary practices in Rousay cairn

A new paper looking at the bone assemblage from the Rousay’s Knowe of Rowiegar suggests that human remains were placed at different stages of decomposition in a more complex, muti-stage process for handling the dead. Read more
(đź“· Sigurd Towrie)

Excavation / Post-excavation

Monday, January 13, 2025

Getting to the bottom of Structure Five’s central hearth

PhD candidate Sarah-Jane Haston on her experience of excavating Structure Five's central hearth in 2024. Read more
Structure Twenty-Seven featured image

Structures

Friday, January 10, 2025

Structure Twenty-Seven updated

Structure Twenty-Seven's page has been updated to include the findings from the 2024 excavation season. Read more
Ness of Brodgar in Smithsonian Magazine

Links

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Link: Ness of Brodgar back on the pages of Smithsonian Magazine

The Smithsonian Magazine's new article on the 2024 Ness of Brodgar excavation season is now online. Read more
Structure Twenty-Seven Entrance

Structures

Monday, January 6, 2025

2024’s top finds – Twenty-Seven’s decorated entrance orthostat

We conclude our look at some of our favourite discoveries of the 2024 season with the incised entrance orthostat in Structure Twenty-Seven. Read more

Artefacts

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

2024’s top finds – incised stone slab from Structure Twenty

Another beautiful example of an incised stone slab, this time from Structure Ten's predecessor. Read more
Worked bone point. (đź“· Sigurd Towrie)

Artefacts

Sunday, December 29, 2024

2024’s top finds – worked bone

Soil acidity at the Ness means worked bone and bone tools are something of a rarity. But 2024 saw four well-preserved examples emerge. Read more
Decorated cylinder.

Artefacts

Tuesday, December 24, 2024

2024’s top finds – the decorated clay cylinder from Structure Twenty

The remarkable, but enigmatic, object found in Structure Twenty, underneath Structure Ten. Read more
The deciduous molar from Structure Thirty-Four. (đź“· Jo Bourne)

Artefacts

Monday, December 23, 2024

2024’s top finds – child’s tooth from a stone box in Structure Thirty-Four

Another of the season's most surprising finds – a child’s milk tooth from one of the orthostatic boxes in Structure Thirty-Four. Read more
Ceiridwen and her fifth decorated stone of 2024. (đź“· Jo Bourne)

Artefacts

Sunday, December 22, 2024

2024’s top finds – another two of Ceiridwen’s decorated stones

Another two of the five decorated stones found by Ceiridwen in and around Structure Seventeen in 2024. Read more
Midwinter sunrise at Ness HQ

Around the Ness

Friday, December 20, 2024

The centre of their world – a place where heaven, earth and people met

By natural coincidence the Ness of Brodgar peninsula roughly lines up with a solstice axis. Is this one of the reason's the area became a magnet to people for millennia? Read more
Structures 5 and 41

Structures

Thursday, December 19, 2024

Structure Five updated and introducing its predecessor, Structure Forty-One!

Structure Five's entry has been updated to include this season's findings - including details of its timber predecessor, Structure Forty-One. Read more
The cleaned fragments in the finds hut. (đź“· Anne Mitchell)

Artefacts

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

2024’s top finds – the stone axe that once rivalled our finest

The poorly preserved remains of a once-beautiful polished stone axe were described as one of the Ness' greatest 'might-have-beens'. 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
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    Visiting the site
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    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
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    The Isbister stalled cairn - South Ronaldsay's 'Tomb of the Eagles'
  • The Ness of Brodgar
    The Ness of Brodgar
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    Archaeology around the Ness of Brodgar
  • 2026 dig dates confirmed
    2026 dig dates confirmed
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Ness of Brodgar
Stenness, Orkney
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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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