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

Monday, January 6, 2025 (10:08 AM)

Structure Twenty-Seven's northern entrance and surviving orthostat. (📷 Jo Bourne) — Structure Twenty-Seven’s northern entrance and surviving orthostat. (📷 Jo Bourne)

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

Since the building began to emerge from its midden cocoon, we were fairly sure its single, northern entrance was flanked by a pair of large orthostats – only one of which remained standing. That was confirmed in 2024, when the remnants of the building’s north wall were revealed. Working around the entrance it became clear that there was very fine, incised decoration on the surviving entrance orthostat.

Emilee and Hiwa working around the entrance orthostat. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

Chris, Theo and Hiwa at Twenty-Seven's entrance arrangement. (📷 Jo Bourne) — 2024: Chris, Theo and Hiwa at Twenty-Seven’s entrance arrangement. (📷 Jo Bourne)

A close-up of one of the entrance slab’s incised marks. (📷 Tom O’Brien)

Most of the stone’s surface had flaked off in the dim and distant past and the decoration that had survived was not easy to see (or photograph). A section of the stone also showed a lot of wear, possibly the result of many thousands of people rubbing against it as they entered and left the building.

Another example of decorated stones around the entrances and thresholds of the Neolithic buildings.