Ness of Brodgar

Ness of Brodgar
Excavations at the Ness of Brodgar.
Map
Ness of Brodgar is located in Orkney Islands
Ness of Brodgar
Shown within Orkney Islands
LocationMainland, Orkney
RegionScotland
Coordinates58°59′50″N 03°12′56″W / 58.99722°N 3.21556°W / 58.99722; -3.21556
TypeNeolithic settlement or religious site
History
PeriodsNeolithic
Site notes
OwnershipNess of Brodgar Trust; also private ownership
Public accessOnly by guided tour during excavation
TypeCultural
Criteriai, ii, iii, iv
Designated1999 (23rd session)
Part ofHeart of Neolithic Orkney
Reference no.514
RegionEurope and North America

The Ness of Brodgar is an archaeological site covering 2.5 hectares (6.2 acres) between the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site on the main Island of Orkney, Scotland. The site was excavated from 2003 to 2024, when it was infilled due to concerns about damage to the structures exposed by excavation.[1][2][3][4]

The site has provided evidence of decorated stone slabs, a stone wall 6 metres (20 ft) thick with foundations, and a large building described as a Neolithic temple.[5] Activity on the site can be dated to 3500-3400 BC,[6] and the site had been closed down and partly dismantled by 2,200 BC.[7]

It was the main subject of a 2016 BBC Scotland documentary, Britain’s Ancient Capital: Secrets of Orkney, presented by Neil Oliver, Chris Packham, Shini Somara, Andy Torbet, and Doug Allan.[8]

  1. ^ "Ness dig ending in 2024 when focus shifts to post-excavation work". nessofbrodgar.co.uk. 6 March 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference observer-orkney-ness-of-brodgar was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "A stark reminder why the Ness buildings cannot remain uncovered". The Ness of Brodgar Excavation. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  5. ^ Towers, Card & Edmonds (2015), pp. 22–23
  6. ^ Card, Nick; Edmonds, Mark; Mitchell, Anne (2020). "The story so far". The Ness of Brodgar: As it Stands. Orcadian (Kirkwall Press). ISBN 978-1912889082.
  7. ^ Towers, Card & Edmonds (2015), pp. 2–3
  8. ^ Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets of Orkney. BBC Scotland. bbc.co.uk (doc. video). British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 28 February 2021.