Orkney Museum to host Ness of Brodgar artefacts

The Orkney Museum is playing host to some of the Ness of Brodgar’s finest artefacts this summer.

Most of those selected formed part of last year’s World of Stonehenge exhibition at the British Museum and are on display together in Orkney for the first time.

These include a fragment of the “Butterfly Stone” found at Structure Twelve’s northern entrance in 2013; the carved stone ball found in Structure Ten in 2013; and the spectacular polished stone axe recovered from Structure Fourteen in 2012.

The exhibition covers all aspects of the Ness assemblage – from the tiny, clay balls found across the site to some of the Neolithic complex’s most impressive carved stones and tools.

Managed by the Ness of Brodgar Trust, in partnership with the UHI Archaeology Institute, the Ness of Brodgar excavation attracts thousands of visitors each summer digging season.

Discovered in 2003, the site lies between the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar. At its zenith, around 3100BC, the Ness was dominated by huge, free-standing buildings flanked by a pair of massive stone walls. The size, quality, and architecture of the structures, together with evidence for tiled roofs, coloured walls, and over 900 examples of decorated stone – not to mention the rich assemblages of artefacts – add to an overall sense of the Ness being special in some way. It was much more than a domestic settlement.

Excavation resumes on site in July, with the site open to the public from July 5, until August 16, 2023. Keep an eye on www.nessofbrodgar.co.uk for updates and the usual dig diary.

The Ness of Brodgar: Time and Place runs at the Orkney Museum, Kirkwall, until Saturday, September 30, 2023. The opening hours are Monday-Saturday, 10.30am – 5.00pm. Admission is free.