A team from the UHI Archaeology Institute team returns to multi-period settlement site at Skaill farm, Rousay, tomorrow for a three-week excavation.
Geophysical survey has revealed features below the surviving remains of the 18/19th century buildings that correspond to several earthworks, such as platforms and enclosures, visible on the ground surface.
The present farmstead is on a low mound, suggesting that the ground built up over numerous phases of activity.
In 2019, the remains of an 11th or 12th century AD Norse hall were revealed to the west of the farmhouse. The building, with substantial metre-thick walls, appears to be over 13 metres long.
This year, the aim is to clarify the relationship between the different areas of the site with the focus on the floor areas of the early farm buildings.
The dig runs from July 10, until July 28, 2023, with visitors welcome on weekdays. An open day is scheduled for Saturday, July 22.
