Dig Diary – Sunshine, hearths, haematite and post-holes
Day Twelve
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
What a glorious day. Both in terms of weather and archaeology.
Weary diggers climbed from the trenches at the end of a warm, sunny… Read more
Category: Excavation
Dig Diary – Probing the ‘mega-drain’ while more of Structure Eighteen is revealed
Day Eleven
Monday, July 18, 2022
Orkney’s wildlife gave a vanload of our diggers a wonderful start to the day. As they drove along the road just south of the… Read more
Dig Diary Extra – 3d model of Structure Thirty-Two
A 3d photogrammetry model of Structure Thirty-Two by Trench J supervisor, Paul Durdin.
Thirty-Two is a later construction, built on the rubble of Structure Five’s south-western end.… Read more
Dig Diary – Rubble area produces our first decorated stone of 2022
Day Ten
Friday, July 15, 2022
We have a new decorated stone!
It may be Friday and it may be (somewhat unbelievably) the end of the second week of excavation,… Read more
Dig Diary Extra – The Ness of Brodgar excavation from above
A selection of drone photographs taken yesterday by Professor Scott Pike, Willamette University, Oregon.
Click on the thumbnails for a larger version.
… Read more
Dig Diary – A day of drains on a site abuzz with activity
Day Nine
Thursday, July 14, 2022
There is no finer place to be on a pleasant day that an archaeological excavation that is positively buzzing with enthusiasm and activity.
And… Read more
Dig Diary – Another piered building east of Structure One?
Day Eight
Wednesday, July 13, 2022
When a big yellow bucket is rumbling towards you, propelled by a vicious horizontal wind, you know it is time to review options.
That’s… Read more
Dig Diary – This season’s second polished stone axe from Trench J
Day Seven
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Well that’s been another busy day.
With multiple tours – private and public – the site has been a veritable hive of activity, with… 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
Dig Diary – it’s large and made from whalebone. But what is it?
Day Six
Tuesday, July 11, 2022
Trench J at the Ness is the trench which just keeps giving.
You will recall that on Friday, towards the very end of the… Read more
Dig Diary – Trench J produces 2022’s first polished stone axe
Day Five
Friday, July 8, 2022
Can this really be the end of the first week at the Ness?
Time has flown past, much of it propelled on horizontal wind… Read more
Dig Diary – Full steam ahead as we get back into the trenches
Day Four
Thursday, July 7, 2022
After yesterday’s weather delay, it was full steam ahead today as the last of the covers were removed, the trowels came out and we… Read more
Dig Diary – What else but the weather!
Day Three
Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Out there in the Archaeosphere there are diligent followers of the Ness who get quite annoyed when we insist on talking about the weather.… Read more
Damp and blustery on site but we’re open as scheduled
As forecast, the day dawned damp and blustery – but we are opening the site to visitors as scheduled and the tours will also run.
However, Orkney’s weather is notoriously… Read more
