Introduction
Today, I fulfilled the purpose of my visit to Orkney (north of Scotland’s mainland). Key objective being to visit the on-going archaeology at the Ness of Brodgar site.
More information on the Ness of Brodgar
This forms part of a World Heritage Site.Included are such famous standing stone sites as Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness. Just six miles away is the equally famous Skara Brae settlement.
Twenty years ago a farmer made a chance discovery of a slab of stone which was found to be part of a Neolithic building. The dateline is about 3000BC or roughly contemporary with the earliest stage of Stonehenge, about 800 miles to the south.
After twenty years of investigation archaeologists have discovered twenty -seven stone structures at the Ness site. This has taken considerable time as the ‘digging season’ lasts for just six weeks each year. This is the project’s penultimate year. In mid-August 2024 the project will come to an end and the site filled in to protect it from the elements.
Specific Features: Part 1
This section provides summary information from the extensive site tour which I joined in today.
Quality of construction: With exception of one building the quality is assessed as poor.The builders had a tendency to rebuild on old sites without adequate foundations. Hence, after a generation or so full or partial collapse occurred. Only one of the structures was built to last in a professional way. Some or all of the buildings had stone roofing tiles.
Purpose of the structures: Probably for show and/or display of wealth. Archaeologists have found decorative stones brought for other parts of Orkney and mainland Britain.
Wall of Brodgar: In the site has been found a section of a massive 4 metre (12ft) wide stone wall the purpose of which is unclear. Again, the driver may have been to display wealth.
Specific Features: Part 2
Climate Change: The word ‘Ness’ means headland or promontory (and has nothing to do with monsters). In this case the archaeology has been found on a promontory which, in Neolithic times,may have been 50pct wider than today. This is because the levels of the lochs (lakes) on either side were lower than today. Some of the site archaeology has been found to continue into the adjacent waters.
Use of Wood: Orkney is famous for being almost devoid of trees. However, in the Neolithic period wood was probably available but progressively fully consumed for construction and other purposes. It is believed that the Neolithic dwellings on Orkney were originally built of wood.
Social Change: The site was occupied for about 400 years, i.e. roughly the same timescale as between the Mayflower’s crossing of the Atlantic and today.During this period the community seems to have morphed from an egalitarian type structure to one with which we are familar today. That is one with an over-arching elite.
Recycling: Many of the building stones were re-cycled into new buildings which in turn collapsed and were in turn subject to re-cycling.
Images
A selection of images taken at the site today is provided below.
Site map illustrating complexity of the archaeology
Ness site tour group with the contemporary Stones of Stenness in the middle distance. The Stones of Stenness today consist of four upright stones up to 6m in height in a circle that originally held 12 stones. The focus of the interior was a large hearth. The stones were encircled by a large ditch and bank, the form of which has been lost over time by ploughing.
More information
For more information on prehistoric Orkney and other aspects of Scotland please refer Visitors’ Guide to Scotland, ISBN 978-1-9161332-0-4. This book is also available via Kindle.