THE NESS OF BRODGAR
For 15 years it had been a steadfast fixture in Orkney’s summer calendar. Then, in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic saw excavation cancelled and, at the time of writing, continues to cast doubt on whether fieldwork at the Ness of Brodgar can resume in 2021.
Halfway between the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar, archaeological research at the site has uncovered an astonishing array of Neolithic structures and a biography spanning millennia — from traces of Mesolithic activity to the site’s Neolithic heyday, through to the early Bronze Age and a later episode of use in the Iron Age.
At its zenith, in the main phase currently under investigation (dating from c.3100 BC), the Ness was dominated by huge, free-standing buildings flanked to the north-west and south-east by massive stone walls. This was much more than a domestic settlement: the size, quality, and architecture of the structures, together with evidence for tiled roofs, coloured walls, and over 800 examples of decorated stone — not to mention the rich assemblages of artefacts recovered from them — all add to an overall sense of the Ness being special in some way.
The last excavation season, in 2019, ended with a series of archaeological cliff-hangers across the site — questions the international team of excavators is keen to address, if they get back in July.
High on the list is a decidedly enigmatic building that lay buried beneath tonnes of deliberately deposited domestic refuse. Christened Structure Twenty-seven, the rectangular building is as big as it is perplexing. Whatever it was, it is unlike any other examples of Neolithic architecture excavated in Orkney to date and was robbed of most of its stone and partially dismantled in the late Neolithic.
Structure Twenty-seven is huge — over 12m wide by at least 17m long — and beautifully built. Inside, massive stone slabs, up to four metres in length, were used to support orthostats that clad the internal wall faces. Other stone slabs inside the building were decorated with the same designs found elsewhere on site.
Given the structure’s position at the bottom of a five-metre deep midden mound, and because it seems to stand on the natural land surface, it was thought that Structure Twenty-seven predated most of the other structures on site. But as more of it was exposed throughout 2019, doubt was cast on this. Architecturally, it became clear that Structure Twenty-seven had similarities to Structure Ten, the last major building constructed on site, so may not be as old as once thought. Time will tell.
Staying with Structure Ten, there was great excitement in 2019 with the discovery of a sea eagle bone within the building. This seemed to fit with other previous presumed votive deposits placed beneath corner buttresses added during the remodelling of the building’s interior. These included large cattle bones, a carved stone ball, beads, and a huge, beautifully decorated stone. Sea eagle remains have also been recorded at seven other Orcadian Neolithic sites, which, together with the bone in Structure Ten, suggests the bird held some special significance to our Neolithic ancestors.
Dating to around 3300BC, Structure Five was built around 600 years before the last construction on site, Structure Ten. Previous seasons concentrated on removing the overlying rubble and, when excavation can resume, work will begin on the later phases of activity associated with the building’s occupants. This will be particularly interesting as Structure Five is one of the oldest buildings on site and predates all the other structures excavated so far. At some point, its central area collapsed and another building was placed directly on top of the ruins. If the collapse was a sudden event, then it, and the later building, may have sealed in undisturbed evidence of early Neolithic life.
At the time of writing, there are no excavation dates set for 2021, but keep an eye on www.nessofbrodgar.co.uk for regular updates.
The Ness of Brodgar excavation is run by the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute and the Ness of Brodgar Trust.