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Category: Excavation

Hugo Anderson-Whymark
Excavation Neolithic Ness of Brodgar Post-excavation

Digging at Ness of Brodgar ending in 2024 with focus shifting to intensive post-excavation work

The final season of excavation at the Ness of Brodgar will take place in 2024, after which the remains of the 5,000-year-old Neolithic complex will be covered over and backfilled.

By Sigurd TowrieMonday, March 6, 2023 (11:00am)Monday, March 6, 2023 (11:04am)
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Aerial view of the Wirk, Rousay. (Bobby Friel)
Excavation Skaill Farm Viking/Norse

Link: Is the Wirk a castle? Evaluating previous excavations

A new blog post for the Castle Studies Trust, by Dan Lee and Dr Sarah Jane Gibbon, on the 2021 excavation at the Wirk, Rousay.

By Sigurd TowrieTuesday, February 21, 2023 (8:02am)Thursday, March 2, 2023 (12:08pm)
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Bobby Friel/@takethehighview
Excavation Skaill Farm Viking/Norse

Dates set for this summer’s excavation at Skaill farm

Excavation of the multi-period settlement site at Skaill, Rousay, resumes on July 10, running until July 28.

By Sigurd TowrieMonday, February 13, 2023 (7:37am)Thursday, February 9, 2023 (10:38am)
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Picture: Bobby Friel
Excavation Iron Age ORCA Swartigill

A look back at Swartigill 2022

A flash back to the tail end of the summer and the excavation of the Iron Age site at Swartigill, Caithness.

By Sigurd TowrieFriday, November 25, 2022 (8:00am)Tuesday, September 5, 2023 (5:21pm)
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The Cairns Broch
Excavation Iron Age The Cairns

Back at The Cairns in 2023

Excavation at The Cairns Iron Age site will resume on Monday, June 12, 2023, running until Friday, July 7.

By Sigurd TowrieWednesday, November 16, 2022 (11:21am)Wednesday, November 16, 2022 (11:21am)
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Ness of Brodgar
Excavation Neolithic Ness of Brodgar

Ness of Brodgar dig dates for 2023 set

Archaeologists will be back at the Ness of Brodgar between Monday, July 3, 2023 until Friday, August 19, 2023.

By Sigurd TowrieTuesday, November 15, 2022 (12:17pm)Tuesday, November 15, 2022 (12:18pm)
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Human jawbone deposit at The Cairns, Orkney.
Excavation Iron Age Post-excavation The Cairns

Isotope analysis reveals an atypical Iron Age diet for The Cairn’s ‘elder’

Analysis of a woman’s jawbone deposited outside an Iron Age broch around AD200 has shown that seafood was major part of her diet throughout her life.

By Sigurd TowrieMonday, October 17, 2022 (4:43pm)Monday, October 17, 2022 (4:43pm)
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Picture: Sigurd Towrie
Excavation Neolithic Ness of Brodgar News

2022 Ness of Brodgar excavation commended in Scottish Parliament

Orkney MSP Liam McArthur has lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament welcoming the successful completion of another excavation season at the Ness of Brodgar.

By Sigurd TowrieFriday, September 23, 2022 (2:39pm)Friday, September 23, 2022 (2:39pm)
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Picture: Holly Young
Excavation Iron Age ORCA Swartigill

Swartigill dig diary 2022 – week two

The excavation of the Swartigill Iron Age settlement has reached the end of its second week, and we have had some exciting finds and made a lot of progress.

By Sigurd TowrieWednesday, August 31, 2022 (9:45am)Tuesday, September 5, 2023 (5:23pm)
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Excavation Iron Age ORCA Swartigill

Spectacular Iron Age bead is Swartigill excavation’s find of the day

The star find at the ongoing Swartigill excavation yesterday must be this little flash of colour and decoration straight from the Iron Age! It is a half fragment of a beautifully decorated glass

By Sigurd TowrieWednesday, August 24, 2022 (12:11pm)Tuesday, September 5, 2023 (5:23pm)
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Picture: ORCA
Excavation Iron Age ORCA Swartigill

Swartigill dig diary 2022 – week one

At the end of our first week of excavation at the Swartigill Iron Age settlement, we are already starting to see some intriguing features within the structures, and tantalising traces of things to come.

By Sigurd TowrieMonday, August 22, 2022 (12:29pm)Tuesday, September 5, 2023 (5:23pm)
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Swartigill site looking West
Excavation Iron Age ORCA Swartigill

Archaeologists back at Swartigill Iron Age site next week

The UHI Archaeology Institute begins its sixth season of excavation at the Burn of Swartigill on Monday, August 15.

By Sigurd TowrieSaturday, August 13, 2022 (11:04am)Tuesday, September 5, 2023 (5:23pm)
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Excavation Research

New project to investigate crannogs in Orkney launched

Next week a team from from the UHI Archaeology Institute will begin the a new project investigating crannogs in Orkney.

By Sigurd TowrieFriday, August 5, 2022 (8:08pm)Wednesday, August 24, 2022 (12:12pm)
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Picture: Bobby Friel
Excavation Skaill Farm

Head to Rousay on Saturday for Skaill excavation open day – all welcome!

The ongoing excavations at Skaill farm, Rousay, are hosting an open day this Saturday, July 16.

By Sigurd TowrieWednesday, July 13, 2022 (9:26pm)Saturday, July 16, 2022 (7:22pm)
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Bobby Friel/@takethehighview
Excavation Skaill Farm Swandro

Link: Archaeologists in action

A new post from Orkney.com showcasing the two archaeological projects under way in Rousay at present – the Knowe of Swandro and our excavation at Skaill farm.

By Sigurd TowrieTuesday, July 12, 2022 (8:32pm)Tuesday, July 12, 2022 (8:35pm)
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Excavation Iron Age ORCA Swartigill

A look at the Burn of Swartigill dig

With the 2022 season at Swartigill, Caithness, due to start next month, here are two videos from the excavation director Rick Barton to whet your appetite.

By Sigurd TowrieWednesday, July 6, 2022 (6:58pm)Tuesday, September 5, 2023 (5:24pm)
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Ness of Brodgar and Skaill
Excavation Ness of Brodgar Skaill Farm

Excavations at Skaill farm and Ness of Brodgar resume today

UHI Archaeology Institute research excavations at the Ness of Brodgar, Stenness, Orkney and at Skaill farm, Rousay, resume today, Monday, July 4.

By Sigurd TowrieMonday, July 4, 2022 (6:30am)Sunday, July 3, 2022 (9:18pm)
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Aerial view of The Cairns, South Ronaldsay. (Bobby Friel)
Excavation Iron Age The Cairns

Catch up with The Cairns – tours of excavation site on offer next week

We had to significantly reduce the scale of excavation at The Cairns this year but before the covers go back on we’re inviting the public to come along for a tour and an update on the work undertaken this year.

By Sigurd TowrieFriday, July 1, 2022 (7:00am)Wednesday, June 29, 2022 (1:18pm)
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Visitors at Ness of Brodgar (Jim Richardson)
Excavation Neolithic Ness of Brodgar

Summer exhibition to focus on the people of the Ness of Brodgar

Running alongside this year’s excavation at the Ness of Brodgar is an exhibition of artefacts from the site in the Maeshowe visitor centre, Stenness.

By Sigurd TowrieMonday, June 20, 2022 (12:28pm)Monday, June 20, 2022 (12:48pm)
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Excavation Neolithic Ness of Brodgar

Ness of Brodgar pre-excavation talk in Orkney Theatre this week

Orkney Archaeology Society (OAS) is hosting a pre-dig talk by Ness of Brodgar director Nick Card on Thursday, June 16.

By Sigurd TowrieMonday, June 13, 2022 (8:32am)Monday, June 13, 2022 (8:32am)
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Archaeology Orkney

UHI Archaeology Institute

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UHI Archaeology Institute, UHI Orkney, East Road, Kirkwall. KW15 1LX
(01856) 569000
sigurd.towrie@uhi.ac.uk
8am-5pm. Monday to Friday

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