Structure Eight – the mystery of the elusive entrance solved!

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Diary – Thursday, August 13, 2020
Day Twenty-Nine

2012: Neralie reveals the polished pillow stone in Structure Fourteen. (ORCA)

We begin today with another pillow stone – this time from Structure Fourteen in 2013.

The beautifully polished stone, similar to the two red examples from Structure Eight, was sitting on a small incised slab.

Not to be outdone, Structure Ten produced an exquisite polished stone axe from the foundation material around the west “dresser”.

The axe, which was black and appeared to be made from granite, had originally been longer. After a break, a new cutting edge had been worked on the other side.

2012: The polished stone axe from underneath Structure Ten’s western ‘dresser’. (ORCA)

It was a well-used tool before being carefully and deliberately deposited under the dresser.

In Structure Twelve, investigations in the north-west recess were suggesting we may have a blocked-up entrance (we did).

Structure Eleven produced another example of Neolithic art on this day in 2013.

A large decorated stone was found while removing the last remnants of a possible wall line behind the hearth. Its lower surface turned out to be covered with fine, incised decoration, ranging from more examples of the “Brodgar Butterfly” to an array of multiple chevrons, conjoined rhombuses and an exquisite little chequerboard.

2013: New decorated stone from Structure Eleven. (ORCA)

Thursday, August 13, 2015, saw a momentous declaration.

2015: Anne reveals the fabled south recess in Structure Eight. (ORCA)

We had wrestled with the question of whether Structure Eight had an entrance at its south end. And if it did, where was it?

And five years ago today, after clearing away the midden and rubble that obscured so much of the evidence, the answer was clear. Structure Eight had no southern entrance. Instead, it has a nice deep, rectangular recess, much of which had been robbed out.

Nick carefully washing the macehead fragment from the outside of Structure Twenty-Seven.

2018: The macehead fragment from the outside of Structure Twenty-Seven. (Sigurd Towrie)

We had a marvellous start to the penultimate week of the 2018 season with a macehead fragment found outside Structure Twenty-Seven’s southern wall.

It was a rich, dark red colour and, as usual, broken across the perforation. It also had some degradation, which is unusual in the body of a stone implement.

It was fashioned from the same rock as the two pillow stones from Structure Eight – rhodochrosite – which is non-crystalline and susceptible to degrading in the acid soil conditions at the Ness.

The camptonite axe found in the Trench J extension hearth in situ.

2018: The camptonite axe found in the Trench J hearth in situ. (Sigurd Towrie)

Staying with Structure Twenty-Seven, as more of the southern wall’s face was exposed it became clear that it was spectacular masonry. The stone courses were closely set, peck-dressed in some areas and with the distinct possibility that one of them may have been decorated.

This, together with the already exposed sections of wall facing, left us in no doubt that the building, whatever its function, was beautifully constructed.

Trench J's latest axe after a careful wash this afternoon.

2018: Trench J’s latest axehead after a careful wash. (Sigurd Towrie)

In addition, we realised that builders of Structure Twenty-Seven had carefully built up the foundations at the south end by inserting layers of rough stone. This was probably to elevate the south end as the bedrock seems to rise upwards towards the other end of the structure.

Magnificent-looking buildings with poor foundations characterise the structures in Trench P, but in Structure Twenty-Seven we had solid foundations for a dazzling building of monumental proportions.

Regular perusers of our diary will recall that 2018 was hailed the year of the axe. And lo and behold, another turned up two years ago in Trench J.

The latest camptonite axehead was found up against a hearthstone in one of the later hearths over Structure Five. It was well made and had been used, given the edge damage noted.

2019: Trench P. (Scott Pike)

August 13, 2019: Backfilling Trench Y. (Karen Wallis)

We mentioned yesterday that, a year ago, a major clean-up operation was under way in Trench P ahead of a photographic recording session.

This was completed on August 13, 2019, and the photography sessions began. Here are some of the images from Professor Scott Pike’s drone. Click on any picture for a larger version.