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Archaeology Orkney

UHI Archaeology Institute

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(📷 Martin Carruthers)
Excavation Iron Age The Cairns

The Cairns dig diary – day two

By Sigurd Towrie Tuesday, June 9, 2026 (9:09pm)Tuesday, June 9, 2026 (9:09pm)
Conference Iron Age Research

‘Roads to the North’ – conference explored Roman influence on northern Scotland

By Sigurd Towrie Tuesday, June 9, 2026 (10:19am)Tuesday, June 9, 2026 (10:33am)
The site largely cleared of plastic covers and tyres. (📷 Iain Healey)

The Cairns dig diary – day one

By Sigurd Towrie Monday, June 8, 2026 (8:41pm)Monday, June 8, 2026 (8:41pm)
The UHI Archaeology Institute were delighted to welcome Professor Charles French,  Professor Emeritus in Geoarchaeology at University of Cambridge, last week.

AEONS advice from Professor Charles French during visit to Orkney

By Sigurd Towrie Monday, June 8, 2026 (9:44am)Tuesday, June 9, 2026 (10:30am)
ICMS Featured Image

Looking back at 2026’s international medieval congress in the USA

By Sigurd Towrie Sunday, June 7, 2026 (11:50am)Sunday, June 7, 2026 (11:50am)
Picture: Tom O'Brien
Excavation Iron Age The Cairns

Back to South Ronaldsay as The Cairns gets dig season under way

Our excavation season gets under way on Monday when a team of diggers return to The Cairns Iron Age site in South Ronaldsay, Orkney.

By Sigurd TowrieFriday, June 5, 2026 (8:30am)Thursday, June 4, 2026 (11:34am)
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Marine turbines. (📷 Nicholas Doherty)
Research TRANSECTS

Coastal communities at risk of effects of repeating cycles of inequality in marine energy transition

A new report is warning that current governance arrangements may leave coastal communities bearing the cost of energy transition while seeing limited long-term benefits.

By Sigurd TowrieThursday, June 4, 2026 (12:09pm)Thursday, June 4, 2026 (12:11pm)
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Ballan-ionnlaide Chumaraidh | 17.8cm x 25.4cm mixed media on paper 2026
Art & Archaeology Postgraduate Student Stories

‘Suðreyjar | Innse Gall’ – exhibition of new work by Eòghann Mac Colla

Eòghann Mac Colla, who is in the final stages of the MA Contemporary Art & Archaeology, is currently exhibiting at the Hunter Saville Gallery in the Isle of Cumbrae.

By Sigurd TowrieThursday, June 4, 2026 (11:00am)Thursday, June 4, 2026 (11:00am)
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(📷 Sigurd Towrie)
Courses Postgraduate Undergraduate

Archaeology and Local Studies short course open to applications

If you’re interested in learning a bit more about the archaeology of your area, and archaeology generally, applications are now open for September and January entry to the Archaeology and Local Studies short course. 

By Sigurd TowrieWednesday, June 3, 2026 (8:22am)Tuesday, June 2, 2026 (10:43am)
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Setting up at the coring site. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)
Archaeobotany Postgraduate Student Stories Undergraduate

Hill and shore – coring gives students a glimpse of Orkney’s prehistoric landscape

The annual, two-week practical environmental archaeology module drew to a close on Friday with a field trip focusing on coring.

By Sigurd TowrieMonday, June 1, 2026 (11:31am)Tuesday, June 2, 2026 (11:15am)
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Tromso Altarpiece
Research St Magnus

Magnus revealed – rare treat for PhD student during Tromsø visit

One of our PhD students, Jenny Murray, recently visited Tromsø in Norway to record a medieval altarpiece that has a statuette of St Magnus within its cabinet, for her thesis.

By Sigurd TowrieSunday, May 31, 2026 (10:29am)Sunday, May 31, 2026 (10:29am)
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Talk featured image
News

Talk reminder – Medieval Orkney and prehistoric wellbeing

A reminder of two talks coming up over the next two days.

By Sigurd TowrieThursday, May 28, 2026 (1:06pm)Thursday, May 28, 2026 (1:06pm)
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Mill stones. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)
Archaeobotany Postgraduate Student Stories Undergraduate

The bere experience – student excursion to Birsay’s Barony Mill

Students on the practical environmental archaeology module took a break from lab work and lectures yesterday for an excursion to Orkney’s last working water mill.

By Sigurd TowrieWednesday, May 27, 2026 (10:42am)Wednesday, May 27, 2026 (10:42am)
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Archaeobotany Postgraduate Student Stories Undergraduate Zooarchaeology

Students congregate for annual environmental archaeology sessions

The second week of our environmental archaeology “shortcourse” gets under way today, with the focus switching from zooarchaeology to archaeobotany.

By Sigurd TowrieMonday, May 25, 2026 (10:32am)Monday, May 25, 2026 (10:32am)
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(📷 Dan Lee)
Art & Archaeology TRANSECTS

Free TRANSECTS workshop looks at Peterhead’s energy stories

Join the TRANSECTS team on May 30, for a workshop exploring Peterhead’s energy stories.

By Sigurd TowrieSunday, May 24, 2026 (12:53pm)Sunday, May 24, 2026 (1:07pm)
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Featured Image
Art & Archaeology Postgraduate Student Stories

‘Behind Closed Doors’ exhibition at the New Glasgow Society

Rowan Ormiston, who has just completed the MA Contemporary Art and Archaeology will be exhibiting at the New Glasgow Society as part of the Q Canvas collective from May 30-June 2.

By Sigurd TowrieThursday, May 21, 2026 (9:34am)Thursday, May 21, 2026 (9:34am)
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(📷 Sigurd Towrie)
Seminar

May seminar – prehistoric sites and wellbeing

May’s UHI Archaeology Institute seminar features Claire Nolan, from University College Cork, looking at ‘Deep Time Perspectives: Prehistoric Archaeology as a Resource for Existential Wellbeing’.

By Sigurd TowrieWednesday, May 20, 2026 (10:36am)Wednesday, May 20, 2026 (10:36am)
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St Magnus Kirk, Egilsay
Orkney Research Skaill Farm Viking/Norse

OAS talk on the archaeology of Christianity in medieval Orkney

Dr Sarah Jane Gibbon will give an Orkney Archaeology Society talk about her research into medieval Orcadian Christianity on May 28, 2026.

By Sigurd TowrieMonday, May 18, 2026 (10:11am)Thursday, May 28, 2026 (9:51am)
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Spurness 2025
News Publications

2026 edition of the Orkney Archaeology Review out now

The new Orkney Archaeology Review has been arriving with members of the Orkney Archaeology Society (OAS).

By Sigurd TowrieThursday, May 14, 2026 (9:32pm)Friday, May 15, 2026 (9:44am)
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Exhibition featured image
Art & Archaeology Postgraduate Student Stories

Student’s work features in ‘Where Threads Meet’ exhibition

MA Contemporary Art and Archaeology student Cathy Snelling is currently showing at Andelli Art, Wells, Somerset, until May 30.

By Sigurd TowrieThursday, May 14, 2026 (10:10am)Thursday, May 14, 2026 (10:10am)
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(📷 Antonia Thomas)
Art & Archaeology Prehistoric Policies Research

Institute research showcased at conference in Ireland

Associate Professor Antonia Thomas was a keynote speaker at an international, interdisciplinary conference in Cork, Ireland.

By Sigurd TowrieWednesday, May 13, 2026 (9:44am)Wednesday, May 13, 2026 (9:45am)
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Brecks and Malcolm's Head, Fair Isle by Mike Pennington, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Postgraduate Research

Applicants sought for funded PhD investigating the heritage of Fair Isle

The UHI Archaeology Institute and Glasgow School of Art, in collaboration with the National Trust for Scotland, are delighted to announce a new ARCS funded PhD opportunity investigating the heritage of Fair Isle.

By Sigurd TowrieMonday, May 11, 2026 (8:03pm)Monday, May 11, 2026 (8:03pm)
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Blue glass bead from the Cairns.
Conference Iron Age Research

Conference to explore Roman influence on Iron Age communities in northern Scotland

The UHI Archaeology Institute has organised a conference at the Historic Environment Scotland (HES) Engine Shed next week, looking at the ways in which Roman society may have influenced Iron Age communities in northern Scotland.

By Sigurd TowrieThursday, May 7, 2026 (8:45am)Thursday, May 7, 2026 (9:59am)
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Older posts

2026 Dig Dates

  • The Cairns, South Ronaldsay: Monday, June 8 – Friday, July 17. Open day on Friday, July 10.
  • Skaill farm, Rousay: Monday, July 6 – Friday, July 24. Open day on Saturday, July 18.
  • Spurness, Sanday: Sunday, July 19 – Friday, August 14.
  • Ness of Brodgar, Stenness: Open to visitors, on weekdays, between Tuesday, July 7, and Thursday, July 30.
MSc Environmental Archaeology starting September 2026

Step into the past with us…

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

Instagram Latest

  • Associate Professor Scott Timpany looks back at last month's "Roads to the North" conference in Stirling.
    22 hours ago
  • The Cairns Dig Diary - Day One. Now up at archaeologyorkney.com. 
#archaeology #excavation #Orkney #ThinkUHI
    1 day ago
  • The UHI Archaeology Institute were delighted to welcome Professor Charles French,  Professor Emeritus in Geoarchaeology at University of Cambridge, last week.
    2 days ago
  • Eòghann Mac Colla, who is in the final stages of the MA Contemporary Art & Archaeology, is currently exhibiting at the Hunter Saville Gallery in the Isle of Cumbrae.
    6 days ago
Associate Professor Scott Timpany looks back at last month's "Roads to the North" conference in Stirling.
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Associate Professor Scott Timpany looks back at last month's "Roads to the North" conference in Stirling.
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The Cairns Dig Diary - Day One. Now up at archaeologyorkney.com. 
#archaeology #excavation #Orkney #ThinkUHI
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The Cairns Dig Diary - Day One. Now up at archaeologyorkney.com. #archaeology #excavation #Orkney #ThinkUHI
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The UHI Archaeology Institute were delighted to welcome Professor Charles French,  Professor Emeritus in Geoarchaeology at University of Cambridge, last week.
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The UHI Archaeology Institute were delighted to welcome Professor Charles French, Professor Emeritus in Geoarchaeology at University of Cambridge, last week.
2 days ago
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Eòghann Mac Colla, who is in the final stages of the MA Contemporary Art & Archaeology, is currently exhibiting at the Hunter Saville Gallery in the Isle of Cumbrae.
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Eòghann Mac Colla, who is in the final stages of the MA Contemporary Art & Archaeology, is currently exhibiting at the Hunter Saville Gallery in the Isle of Cumbrae.
6 days ago
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Top Posts

  • The Cairns dig diary - day one
    The Cairns dig diary - day one
  • 'Roads to the North'  - conference explored Roman influence on northern Scotland
    'Roads to the North' - conference explored Roman influence on northern Scotland
  • The Cairns dig diary - day two
    The Cairns dig diary - day two
  • AEONS advice from Professor Charles French during visit to Orkney
    AEONS advice from Professor Charles French during visit to Orkney
  • Back to South Ronaldsay as The Cairns gets dig season under way
    Back to South Ronaldsay as The Cairns gets dig season under way
  • Study online and gain an archaeology degree anywhere in the world
    Study online and gain an archaeology degree anywhere in the world
  • Archaeology Institute PhD student’s research dates St Magnus reliquary
    Archaeology Institute PhD student’s research dates St Magnus reliquary
  • Looking back at 2026's international medieval congress in the USA
    Looking back at 2026's international medieval congress in the USA
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

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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

  • The Cairns dig diary - day one
  • 'Roads to the North' - conference explored Roman influence on northern Scotland
  • The Cairns dig diary - day two
  • The Cairns
  • AEONS advice from Professor Charles French during visit to Orkney
  • Back to South Ronaldsay as The Cairns gets dig season under way
  • The chambered cairns of Orkney