Date	Event
c5000BC	Evidence of Mesolithic activity on the Ness.
c3700BC	Earliest evidence of farming in Orkney.
c3600BC	Settlements at Knap of Howar, Braes of Ha’Breck; Smerquoy; Stonehall.
c3500BC	Carinated bowl sherd (Early Neolithic) under Structure Fourteen.
c3300BC	Early structures built at Ness of Brodgar (underneath buildings currently visible in Trench P).
	Structure Five at Ness of Brodgar.
	Early structures at Skara Brae.
c3200BC	Barnhouse settlement in use.
	Start of piered architecture at the Ness.
c3100BC	Structures One, Eight, Twelve and Fourteen in use.
	Standing Stones of Stenness erected.
c3000BC	Stones of Stenness in use.
c2900BC	Primary use of piered buildings at the Ness finishes. Some remain a focus of activity, but on a less grand scale.
	Barnhouse settlement abandoned.
	Structure Eight at Barnhouse settlement site built.
	Structure Ten at Ness of Brodgar built.
c2800BC	Structure Ten at Ness of Brodgar collapses and is rebuilt.
	Large piered structures at the Ness of Brodgar out of use. Infilled with midden and rubble and the site abandoned, except for Structure Ten.
c2700BC	Maeshowe ditch dug. Before or after chamber?
c2600BC	Ring of Brodgar ditch dug. Before or after stones raised?
c2500BC	Structure Ten hearth at Ness of Brodgar reused briefly.
c2450BC	Skara Brae abandoned.
c2400BC	The remains of Structure Ten at the Ness of Brodgar were the focus of a massive feast
	This saw the remains of over 400 cattle placed in the passageway surrounding the building – marking the end of the Ness and the start of something new?
	Single sherd of early Bronze Age Beaker pottery and Bronze Age arrowhead found in the layers just above the bone deposit – the Neolithic in Orkney is drawing to a close.
800BC-AD500	Some time in the Iron Age, the huge midden mound to the south-east of the Ness of Brodgar main site was remodelled.
	Not only was an Iron Age ditch cut into the mound, but a revetment wall, on the upslope side, was enhanced by a large bank, itself held at the rear by another revetment wall.
Feb 1925	‘Brodgar Stone’ found while ploughing Ness of Brodgar site.
Apr 2003	Notched stone and evidence of Structure One found while ploughing Ness of Brodgar site.