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UHI Archaeology Institute

Archaeology Orkney

UHI Archaeology Institute

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(📷 Susan Pearson)
Art & Archaeology

Taking the Fates to SSA’s Edinburgh exhibition

By Sigurd Towrie Saturday, January 31, 2026 (8:50am)Friday, January 30, 2026 (2:36pm)
Holly excavating in 2016
Postgraduate Research Student Stories

Congratulations Dr Young – PhD success for Holly after passing viva

By Sigurd Towrie Thursday, January 29, 2026 (9:59am)Thursday, January 29, 2026 (12:28pm)
Aberdeen mural.

TRANSECTS project opportunities for artists in north-east Scotland

By Sigurd Towrie Wednesday, January 28, 2026 (11:11am)Wednesday, January 28, 2026 (11:11am)

Trade in Early Modern Orkney kicks off 2026 seminar season

By Sigurd Towrie Tuesday, January 27, 2026 (12:56pm)Tuesday, January 27, 2026 (12:56pm)
St Magnus stained window - (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

New journal paper on cult of Saint Magnus in Caithness available now

By Sigurd Towrie Friday, January 23, 2026 (10:40am)Friday, January 23, 2026 (12:18pm)
Featured Image
Art & Archaeology Ness of Brodgar Student Stories

Kirkwall premiere for graduate’s Ness film

A film by MA Contemporary Art and Archaeology graduate Lucy Carr-McClave will be premiered in Kirkwall on Thursday evening.

By Sigurd TowrieTuesday, January 20, 2026 (10:28am)Tuesday, January 20, 2026 (10:28am)
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Art & Archaeology Postgraduate Student Stories

Art and archaeology student and graduate achievements

An update on some of the achievements of graduates and students from the MA Contemporary Art and Archaeology (MA CAA) from programme leader Dr Antonia Thomas:

By Sigurd TowrieSunday, January 18, 2026 (10:43am)Friday, January 16, 2026 (12:44pm)
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Excavation under way at Cladh Hallan.
Seminar

A taste of things to come – spring’s free seminar programme

Professors Mike Parker Pearson and Niall Sharples – of Stonehenge and Maiden castle fame, respectively – are among the speakers for our new season of free online seminars.

By Sigurd TowrieThursday, January 15, 2026 (2:30pm)Friday, January 23, 2026 (10:04am)
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Viking/Norse

Archaeology Institute welcomes new visiting professor

In December, the UHI Archaeology Institute welcomed Dr Colleen Batey to its ranks of visiting academics.

By Sigurd TowrieTuesday, January 13, 2026 (1:07pm)Tuesday, January 13, 2026 (7:33pm)
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(📷 Dan Lee)
Skaill Farm Student Stories

Student’s carved head find included in Smithsonian magazine’s top discoveries of 2025

The carved stone head found by one of our undergraduate students in Rousay has made it on to the Smithsonian Magazine’s list of top discoveries of 2025.

By Sigurd TowrieFriday, January 9, 2026 (1:15pm)Friday, January 9, 2026 (1:15pm)
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Spurness 2025 - 3d model
Excavation

Dig dates for 2026 confirmed

The dates for our 2026 excavations have been set.

By Sigurd TowrieWednesday, January 7, 2026 (9:06am)Wednesday, January 7, 2026 (11:12am)
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Runology Course header
Courses Viking/Norse

Delve into the secrets of the runes with short course starting January

Our online short course, starting in January 2026, focuses on runes – a writing system that developed in western Europe in the first millennium AD.

By Sigurd TowrieFriday, December 19, 2025 (9:56am)Friday, December 19, 2025 (9:58am)
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(📷 Sigurd Towrie)
Research

Institute projects showcased at environmental archaeology conference in Norway 

Professor Ingrid Mainland, Dr Jen Harland and Dr Julia Cussans presented papers at the recent Association for Environmental Archaeology Conference, held in Stavanger, Norway.

By Sigurd TowrieMonday, December 15, 2025 (8:41am)Monday, December 15, 2025 (8:42am)
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(📷 Sigurd Towrie)
AEONS News

Council approves plans for AEONS environmental archaeology facility

The UHI Archaeology Institute’s plans to establish a new environmental archaeology laboratory in Kirkwall have been approved by Orkney Islands Council.

By Sigurd TowrieFriday, December 12, 2025 (8:50am)Friday, December 12, 2025 (8:50am)
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(📷 ORCA)
Industrial Heritage ORCA

Industrial heritage – another two Westray summaries

The summaries for another two Westray sites, surveyed as part of the From Peat Spade to Tangle Trade project are now available online.

By Sigurd TowrieWednesday, December 10, 2025 (1:42pm)Wednesday, December 10, 2025 (1:42pm)
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Sanday shipwreck timbers
News Sanday

Vote now – Sanday wreck recovery in running for Current Archaeology Rescue Project of the Year

The discovery and excavation of an 18th century wreck in Sanday is in the running for Current Archaeology’s 2026 Rescue Project of the Year, with voting now open to the public.

By Sigurd TowrieMonday, December 8, 2025 (9:52am)Monday, December 8, 2025 (9:52am)
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Sword Pommel
Seminar Video Viking/Norse

Video: Death, destruction and Viking burials

The recording of our latest online seminar, this one featuring Dr Colleen Batey looking at viking grave goods – in particular damaged weaponry.

By Sigurd TowrieSaturday, December 6, 2025 (12:11pm)Saturday, December 6, 2025 (12:13pm)
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Concrete Seed Featured Image
Art & Archaeology

Graduate’s work selected for Mexican experimental film festival

A film by Art and Archaeology graduate Jamie McNeill has been shown as part of the Neosfest experimental film festival in Mexico.

By Sigurd TowrieFriday, December 5, 2025 (9:49am)Friday, December 5, 2025 (9:50am)
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(📷 Sigurd Towrie)
Postgraduate

Postgrad students get hands-on experience in our first human remains short-course

Human remains are the subject of a postgraduate short-course in Orkney this week, with students travelling from across the UK and USA to take part.

By Sigurd TowrieThursday, December 4, 2025 (8:13am)Wednesday, December 3, 2025 (2:17pm)
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Placename conference featured image
Conference Orkney

Talking Orkney placenames at national conference

Dr Sarah Jane Gibbon was talking Orkney placenames recently at the Scottish Place Name Society Autumn Conference.

By Sigurd TowrieWednesday, December 3, 2025 (9:14am)Tuesday, December 2, 2025 (3:05pm)
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(📷 Lindsay Bailey)
News

‘Here’s to the next decade of discovery’ – marking ten years of the UHI Archaeology Institute

The UHI Archaeology Institute marked a major milestone recently with a tenth anniversary celebration at the UHI Orkney campus in Kirkwall.

By Sigurd TowrieTuesday, December 2, 2025 (2:25pm)Tuesday, December 2, 2025 (2:25pm)
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Forest Scene. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)
Art & Archaeology

Sacred forests bring Antonia to Finland

Dr Antonia Thomas is en route for Finland, where she is an invited speaker on a PhD course at the University of Oulu.

By Sigurd TowrieMonday, December 1, 2025 (11:55am)Monday, December 1, 2025 (11:55am)
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Marine turbines. (📷 Nicholas Doherty)
TRANSECTS

Do you have a connection to the renewables industry in Orkney?

Join the TRANSECTS team in Stromness on Saturday, November 29, to talk marine renewables in Orkney.

By Sigurd TowrieTuesday, November 25, 2025 (2:36pm)Thursday, November 27, 2025 (10:34am)
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Older posts

Instagram Latest

  • A guest post from Susan Pearson, who is currently in her final year of the MA Contemporary Art and Archaeology at the UHI Archaeology Institute.

https://archaeologyorkney.com/2026/01/31/ssa-2026/
    4 hours ago
  • Almost 14 years after joining the UHI Archaeology Institute as an undergraduate, we're delighted to announce that Holly Young has passed her PhD viva examination. She is pictured above excavating in 2015. Congratulations!!
    2 days ago
  • The TRANSECTS project is seeking embedded artist(s) for three roles – Storylines workshops, walkshops and a mini-residency - to explore marine energy transitions and coastal community resilience in north-east Scotland. 

https://archaeologyorkney.com/2026/01/28/transects-artists-2/
    3 days ago
  • A reminder that our 2026 season of free online seminars gets under way on Friday, Janaury 30, with "Traders and Produce in Early Modern Orkney".

https://archaeologyorkney.com/2026/01/27/trade-in-early-modern-orkney-seminar/
    4 days ago
A guest post from Susan Pearson, who is currently in her final year of the MA Contemporary Art and Archaeology at the UHI Archaeology Institute.

https://archaeologyorkney.com/2026/01/31/ssa-2026/
@uhiarchaeology
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A guest post from Susan Pearson, who is currently in her final year of the MA Contemporary Art and Archaeology at the UHI Archaeology Institute. https://archaeologyorkney.com/2026/01/31/ssa-2026/
4 hours ago
View on Instagram |
1/4
Almost 14 years after joining the UHI Archaeology Institute as an undergraduate, we're delighted to announce that Holly Young has passed her PhD viva examination. She is pictured above excavating in 2015. Congratulations!!
@uhiarchaeology
@uhiarchaeology
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Follow
Almost 14 years after joining the UHI Archaeology Institute as an undergraduate, we're delighted to announce that Holly Young has passed her PhD viva examination. She is pictured above excavating in 2015. Congratulations!!
2 days ago
View on Instagram |
2/4
The TRANSECTS project is seeking embedded artist(s) for three roles – Storylines workshops, walkshops and a mini-residency - to explore marine energy transitions and coastal community resilience in north-east Scotland. 

https://archaeologyorkney.com/2026/01/28/transects-artists-2/
@uhiarchaeology
@uhiarchaeology
•
Follow
The TRANSECTS project is seeking embedded artist(s) for three roles – Storylines workshops, walkshops and a mini-residency - to explore marine energy transitions and coastal community resilience in north-east Scotland. https://archaeologyorkney.com/2026/01/28/transects-artists-2/
3 days ago
View on Instagram |
3/4
A reminder that our 2026 season of free online seminars gets under way on Friday, Janaury 30, with "Traders and Produce in Early Modern Orkney".

https://archaeologyorkney.com/2026/01/27/trade-in-early-modern-orkney-seminar/
@uhiarchaeology
@uhiarchaeology
•
Follow
A reminder that our 2026 season of free online seminars gets under way on Friday, Janaury 30, with "Traders and Produce in Early Modern Orkney". https://archaeologyorkney.com/2026/01/27/trade-in-early-modern-orkney-seminar/
4 days ago
View on Instagram |
4/4

Step into the past with us…

https://youtu.be/mhQA6z3pKOU
Course Details
Study archaeology online
TRANSECTS

The Cairns

The Ness of Brodgar

Skaill, Rousay

Swartigill, Caithness

Tombs of the Isles Project

Industrial Heritage of the North Isles

Gaan Nort - An Oral History of Orkney's North Isles

Top Posts

  • Taking the Fates to SSA's Edinburgh exhibition
    Taking the Fates to SSA's Edinburgh exhibition
  • Congratulations Dr Young - PhD success for Holly after passing viva
    Congratulations Dr Young - PhD success for Holly after passing viva
  • Trade in Early Modern Orkney kicks off 2026 seminar season
    Trade in Early Modern Orkney kicks off 2026 seminar season
  • Exceptional stone axe discoveries at the Ness of Brodgar
    Exceptional stone axe discoveries at the Ness of Brodgar
  • Get up close to Skara Brae with new 3D model of 5,000-year-old settlement
    Get up close to Skara Brae with new 3D model of 5,000-year-old settlement
  • TRANSECTS project opportunities for artists in north-east Scotland
    TRANSECTS project opportunities for artists in north-east Scotland
  • Video: 'Mysteries of Prehistoric Scotland' series now available to all
    Video: 'Mysteries of Prehistoric Scotland' series now available to all
  • A taste of things to come - spring's free seminar programme
    A taste of things to come - spring's free seminar programme

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Archaeology Orkney

UHI Archaeology Institute

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Contact Us

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

Links

  • UHI Archaeology Institute website
  • Ness of Brodgar Excavation
  • Ness of Brodgar Facebook
  • The Cairns excavation Facebook
  • Working Stone – the prehistoric stone tools of Orkney
  • Orkney Archaeology Society
  • Orkney.com

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Top Posts & Pages

  • Taking the Fates to SSA's Edinburgh exhibition
  • Congratulations Dr Young - PhD success for Holly after passing viva
  • Trade in Early Modern Orkney kicks off 2026 seminar season
  • Exceptional stone axe discoveries at the Ness of Brodgar
  • Pierowall, Westray
  • Get up close to Skara Brae with new 3D model of 5,000-year-old settlement
  • TRANSECTS project opportunities for artists in north-east Scotland