Introducing ceramics 8 – the dimpled-base experiments
Dimple bases are basal sherds, with finger-impressed dimples on the interior surface, found on Early and Middle Iron Age sites right around the Atlantic coast. Read more
Monthly Archive: August 2020
Geology matters 1: Why rock?
The first in a series of articles from our resident geologist Dr Martha Johnson. Read more
Wednesday wildlife – swanning around…
The swans of the Stenness and Harray lochs feature in dig director Nick Card’s weekly showcase of the fauna around the Ness of Brodgar excavation site.… Read more
A ‘Neolithical Mystery Tour’ of Orkney
National Geographic photojournalist Jim Richardson has published a “storymap” of Neolithic Orkney, giving readers a glimpse into life 5,000 years ago.
The storymap – described by Jim as a “marriage… Read more
Introducing ceramics 7 – colour
Coloured pot reconstructions. (📷 Cecily Webster)By Roy TowersOne of the joys of working with ceramics within the UHI Archaeological Institute in Orkney is the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues, both… Read more
Introducing ceramics 6 – sticking cordons
At Structure Twelve, sometime in the decades around c. 2300 cal BC, a potter lost his temper. Fed up with their cordons falling off, they adopted a radical solution. Read more
Wednesday wildlife – week seventeen
This week’s selection of photographs from the camera of dig director Nick Card.… Read more
Introducing ceramics 5 – firing
So, our Neolithic Grooved Ware is formed, dried, decorated and ready for the all-important firing. What comes next? Read more
From the Art Hut – connecting…
By Diane Eagles
Owing to the dig being cancelled this year because of Covid restrictions, I moved my residency to daily Instagram posts.
I had been working on ideas for… Read more
A sad anniversary…
A year ago today we said a very sad farewell to one of the trusted, popular and loyal members of the Ness team – site director Nick’s dog Bryn, who… Read more
The Ness – a place of compulsive building, rebuilding and alteration
Diary – Friday, August 14, 2020
Day Thirty
The weather saw excavation on this day in 2012 cancelled. Torrential rain lashed the site for much of the day, leaving… Read more
Introducing ceramics 4 – why the changes?
The hunt is on for clues, for any evidence of change through time. If you are a historian that can come in a dusty library as you leaf through old documents. Read more
Structure Eight – the mystery of the elusive entrance solved!
Diary – Thursday, August 13, 2020
Day Twenty-Nine
We begin today with another pillow stone – this time from Structure Fourteen in 2013.
The beautifully polished… Read more
From the Art Hut – in it for the long haul
By Karen Wallis
As this is my last blog for the virtual dig diary, I’m going to take a look back over the whole of my residency to date.
The… Read more
Standing stones appear outside Structure Twelve
Diary – Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Day Twenty-Seven
It was all go on in Structure Ten on this day in 2011.
Further excavation of the central hearth revealed it to… Read more
A master of his art – Jim Richardson photographs from around the Ness
Jim Richardson visiting the Ness in 2019. (📷 Jo Bourne)In 2012, Jim Richardson visited the Ness to capture images for a planned National Geographic feature article.The resultant images were truly… Read more
