2024’s top finds – the dog in the drain
This summer, in a corner of Structure Twelve, a few eyebrows were raised when excavation revealed the partial remains of a puppy in a drain! Read more
Category: Artefacts
Sponsor a Square newsletter added to archive
Our latest newsletter has been added to the archive. Read more
Focus on finds: Arran pitchstone
Arran pitchstone has only been found at two Neolithic sites in Orkney – the Ness of Brodgar complex and the Barnhouse settlement, some 460 metres to the south-east. Read more
Focus on finds: Structure Ten’s sea eagle foundation deposit
In August 2019 there was great excitement on site following what appeared to be the discovery of a second human arm bone in Structure Ten. Closer examination, however, revealed it to be the wing bone of a sea eagle. Read more
Diary Extra – 3d model of pillowstone fragment and a complete example
Paul Durdin’s latest 3d model – the rhodochrosite pillowstone fragment from Structure Thirty today.Two other rhodochrosite pillowstones have been found on site – both in Structure Eight in 2011 and… Read more
A selection of the Ness of Brodgar’s finest on display in Orkney Museum
The Orkney Museum is playing host to some of the Ness of Brodgar’s finest artefacts this summer - most of which were part of last year's World of Stonehenge exhibition at the British Museum. Read more
Focus on finds: small clay balls
Three of the Ness of Brodgar’s small clay balls. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)There have been many puzzling finds over the past 20 years of excavation. Among these are a number of… Read more
Investigating multi-hollowed cobbles in the Orcadian Neolithic
UHI Archaeology Institute MRes student Gary Lloyd outlines his research project looking at multi-hollowed cobbles from the Ness of Brodgar. Read more
2022’s top ten: human remains between Structures Eight and Seventeen
Excavation of an orthostatic box in 2022, introduced an intriguing new element into the relationship between Structures Seventeen and Eight.
The box – which was clearly, given… Read more
2022’s top ten: the whalebone artefact
We remain in Trench J for today’s Top Ten entry.
A short distance to the north-west of the hearth mentioned on Saturday, and securely embedded into the floor of… Read more
2022’s top ten: Trench J’s trio of polished stone axes
In 2022, Trench J maintained its reputation for producing polished stone axes – with three beautiful examples adding to its growing total.
At the start of the season the… Read more
Pitchstone flake brings Ness total to 47
A flake of Arran pitchstone from the analysis of environmental samples from Structure Eight has brought the total from the Ness to 47. Read more
Recollections of working stone: Incised lines – a matter of ambidexterity?
The second account of Ness volunteer Lorraine Clay's foray into experimental archaeology over the summer of 2022. Read more
Recollections of working stone: part one
The first part of Ness volunteer Lorraine Clay's foray into experimental archaeology over the summer of 2022. Read more
Link: Wonderful things hiding in plain sight: art at the Ness of Brodgar
A new blog post on the subject of Neolithic art at the Ness of Brodgar is now available on the Ola Gorie website.
The post, Wonderful things hiding in… Read more
Dig Diary Extra – 3d model of worked whalebone artefact

Trench J supervisor Paul Durdin has worked his photogrammetry magic again, this time creating a 3d model of the whalebone artefact found in the floor of Structure Thirty-Two yesterday.… Read more
