Spurness 2025: dig diary day ten
The penultimate day of excavation saw a buzz across the site as we race to get as much done before backfilling the site on Friday.
Category: Excavation
Spurness 2025 – dig diary day eight
Our first pottery, an elusive wall section and a spectacular flaked stone adze!
Spurness 2025 – dig diary day seven
The second and final week of this demanding, but rewarding, field season got under way today with a full complement of student diggers and volunteers on site.
Back to Swartigill for eighth season of excavation
We’re back at Swartigill, in Caithness, from August 18 until September 5, to continue excavating a fascinating Iron Age settlement.
Spurness 2025 – open day and talk
We’re hosting an open day at the excavation site and the Sanday Heritage Centre on Sunday, August 10, followed by a talk in the school on Friday, August 15, at 7.30pm.
Spurness 2025 – dig diary day five
The covers are off and the archaeology continues to perplex!
Spurness 2025 – dig diary day four
The bulk of the infill at the western end of the Bronze Age structure is now gone – ready for the covers to come off tomorrow.
Spurness 2025 – dig diary day three
Full steam ahead – deturfing and cleaning continued but the southern wall has emerged.
Spurness 2025 – dig diary day two
Thwarted by Storm Floris! Although the weather saw digging cancelled, there was a chance to see some Sanday archaeology up close.
Spurness 2025 – dig diary day one
Day one of our excavation in Sanday – and it was a day of deturfing and cleaning.
3D model of the Spurness prehistoric structures
A 3d model from Dr Hugo Anderson-Whymark showing the Bronze Age structures in Spurness, Sanday, under excavation in 2018.
Back to Sanday to investigate the Neolithic-Bronze Age transition
A team from the UHI Archaeology Institute is back in Sanday to continue excavating a Neolithic/Bronze Age site.
Dig diary – spectacular carved head found in week two at Skaill farm
An unexpected and spectacular find – a carved sandstone head.
The Cairns dig diary – wrapping up the 2025 season
The excavations at The Cairns have now come to an end for this year. With the site safely covered up, it’s time for site director Martin Carruthers to sum up…
The Cairns dig diary – day 29
As the site is covered over for another year, finds supervisor Kev looks back on the 2025 season.
Dig diary – ‘Memento mori’ fragment unearthed in week one at Skaill farm
A round-up of the first week of excavations at Skaill, Rousay, from Dan Lee.
The Cairns dig diary – day 28
The last day of excavation before the site is covered up for the penultimate time.
The Cairns dig diary – day 27
A gallery of aerial shots showing excavation site today.
The Cairns dig diary – day 26
The final week of excavation began with great progress across the site.
The Cairns dig diary – day 25
A busy day on site for the open day, but some important findings and milestones reached too…