What a great day on site! Nice weather allowed us to achieve a lot.
First, John has completely revealed the upper floor in Structure Three, and the first thing to do is photograph the house and because Annie had a drone we were able to take some great photographs from above.
During the normal photography, which included elevations of the walls, we realised how, in the Early Bronze Age, the people had used sections of older Neolithic walling as part of the new houses (c.1,500 years later). This was recognised because not only is the walling noticeably different (far rougher than the Neolithic masonry)Â but they employed entirely different stones.
It is these observations which make you appreciate both the advantages and difficulties involved in building houses within a much older structure. Also how structural problems were overcome by people living in Orkney over 4,000 years ago.
Holly finished excavating the nicely built passage today and exposed a substantial threshold stone. However, slightly concerning is the observation that the passage runs in from beyond the edge of the trench demonstrating that despite the large area of excavation we still have not uncovered the entire site.
While the drone was in the air, photographs were taken of the whole site, which really reveals the massive size of the Early Neolithic structure and how it was modified in the Bronze Age. It also demonstrates the complexity of the site and the difficulties we experience in trying to unravel a sequence of construction which not only uses parts of an older structure but also shows considerable architectural changes through the Bronze Age.
Excavation on site today. (📷 Holly Young)
In many ways today was a day of enlightenment when several curious things which had been difficult to interpret became understandable. At the same time came the realisation that we are dealing with a building standing over a metre in height in some places and all the work that will be involved in exposing its complex architecture.
And then of course there is the Orkney weather to consider. Today was lovely but will it last?
