Back on site in seven days with focus on Structures One, Five, Eight, Ten and Twenty-Seven

Aerial view of Trench T in 2019, with the circular, revetted ditch to the left and Structure Twenty-Seven to the right. (Scott Pike)

In seven days, a full team of archaeologists will be back at the Ness of Brodgar for the first time since 2019.

Work resumes on Monday, July 4, and runs until Friday, August 19. The site will be open to the public on weekdays from July 6 until August 17, with guided tours at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.

A full cohort of excavators this year means that all three main trenches will be re-opened, although not all the structures will be looked at.

The focus will be on areas that have been dormant since the pandemic, particularly Structures One and Eight in Trench P and Trench T to the south-east.

Excavation director Nick Card said: “We are particularly excited about continuing work on Structure Twenty-Seven with its unique architecture, incorporating massive prone slabs and orthostats lining its interior.

“As more of the floor levels are revealed we hope to unravel exactly what it was and how it fits into the overall narrative of the Ness.”

As always, a daily dig diary will be posted on the website for the duration of the excavation.