By Bernie Bell

Mike and I went for a walk round the Ring of Brodgar on Monday.  We parked at the Stenness Stones, walked along the path by Harray Loch,  looked across the road to Loch View and imagined The People of The Ness there – planning. 

Near the Comet Stone we were talking with two women who were only in Orkney for the day and who said they want to come to the Ness dig ‘sometime’ – I asked did they not know that it’s the last season this year?  No, they didn’t and were a bit taken aback by the news.

They asked why it’s finishing – I explained that there is so much still there, and so much has been discovered, that time needs to be taken to stop and assess.  They completely understood and accepted that – and also asked was funding a problem. I said that lack of funds isn’t why it’s finishing,  but that funding is entirely dependent on the good will of individuals and organizations other than the Government,  and that funding will still be vital for post-excavation work too.  I advised them to check the Ness of Brodgar Trust website and also gave them a card with a link to my Blog on it, as I’ll be posting up-dates there.

This encounter prompted me to send the following to TON – as a reminder to folk that this year’s dig WILL BE THE LAST ONE AT THE NESS OF BRODGAR and that it would be a great shame for anyone interested in archaeology to miss this opportunity to visit a site which turned our understanding of the Neolithic in Britain on its head!

Last year, for the first time since 2019, the entire site was uncovered and there’s so much there.

After being guided to the best place to park the car, we approached the site and looked about us.

First of all, we turned left to Trench J/Structure 5.  Though Structure 5 is of great interest – understood to be one of the earliest structures at the Ness, and also regularly turning up treasures such as the carved triangles which were to be seen in the Orkney Museum until the 23rd of December last year.

…and the ‘raised eyebrows’.

http://www.spanglefish.com/berniesblog/blog.asp?blogid=15841

– tho’ last year it was over-shadowed a bit by the Great Wall of Brodgar.  The Great Wall was one of first major sections of stonework discovered on the site, then the archaeologists moved their focus to the more central area.

In the last couple of years The Wall & Structure 5 have started to be thoroughly investigated, with intriguing results.

‘Started to be thoroughly investigated’?  Hmmm – one more season to go.

The Great Wall is a great wall – much of interest there, especially the steps.

I’m also thinking of the Dyke O’ Sean, a bit up the hill from the Ring of Brodgar,  which was thought to be an earthen dyke until quite recently.  Here’s the info. on the Dyke O’ Sean from Sigurd Towrie.

The freestanding walls are discussed in Chapter 6  (fittingly entitled ‘Setting Boundaries’)  of ‘The Ness of Brodgar As it Stands’,  Edited by Nick Card, Mark Edmonds and Anne Mitchell.

Then we crossed over to view the central area of the site which, to be honest, didn’t look to have changed much since the last dig.  This is because the archaeologists aren’t so much focusing on revealing ‘new’ structures as whittling away at what makes up the floor surfaces – scrutinising the hearths, which can tell a lot about the life which was lived around them – and discovering the structures beneath the structures as the Ness was a place which underwent much change and re-development during the time of its occupation.

Walking round to Structure 12.  I’ve always had an idea of it being a communal kitchen, like the one still standing by the remains of Glastonbury Abbey.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbot%27s_Kitchen,_Glastonbury

…big pots, lot of hearths, even the Hammer-stones of Nick Card’s talk could have been for food preparation – grinding, rolling?  Mebbe?

We noticed a row of seven cup marks in a line along the base of a wall in Structure 12 – I think it’s structure 12 – I get muddled about the numbers! 

Seven…..in a row…???????

This dig diary entry shows that the meeting-point of three structures is right by the seven cup marks.  Any reason/ connection???  Who knows – who’ll ever know!!!

And down the slope  to Trench T, where the structures and stones just keep on coming.   Including the very puzzling long, solid slabs of stone – what were they foooor???

There are various views of what might have been the purpose of this area.  Meeting Stig of the Dump could be helpful.

otherwise, unless a strong indicator of usage is found – it will be covered over this year and sleep again.

I’m sticking with my manufacturing/processing area idea.

http://www.spanglefish.com/berniesblog/blog.asp?blogid=16030

but what do I know?

Back up the slope, and past Structure 10 which barely gets a glance – tho’ I remember, years ago, exclaiming “Look at that big, long, curved wall”  – a lot of big walls have been found since then.

A view of the central area of the site.

Note I say ‘central’ not ‘main’  – there are various areas which can now be described as being ‘main’ pieces of the site.  And what’s under the spoil heap?  What’s under the big grassy area we arrived at first?  We won’t know in our life-time.  Enough that the archaeologists will work away at making sense of what has been found.

Speaking of which – the work will still need funding – so Mike posted some dosh in the big red barrel.

and we went to the shop where we bought some cards of images of the Banded Gneiss Mace-head,  by Sam Gray – one of which went straight on the wall in my den when I got home.

https://www.samanthagrayart.com

I likes the Banded Gneiss Mace-head…

http://www.spanglefish.com/berniesblog/blog.asp?blogid=16063

The OAS calendar for 2024 was for sale…see April – Bells in smugmode!

That was our visit to the Ness last year.  One more year to go ‘if we’re spared’ as my Mum used to say. 

Details of the 2024 dig

My ramblings about The Ness excavations so far, from ‘The Orkney News’

https://theorkneynews.scot/?s=Ness+of+Brodgar+Bernie+Bell

Plus – 2022’s  dig from m’blog

http://www.spanglefish.com/berniesblog/blog.asp?blogid=15841

PHEW!!!

We’re Watching

They’re closing down the Ness again

It’s easier now, than then

We did it all with soil and midden

This stuff’s beyond our ken.

They’re closing down the Ness again

They do it every year

We thought we’d done it for all time

Or something very near.

They’re closing down Ness again

They come from far and near

They’re not that different from us

That much is very clear.

They’re closing down the Ness again

Strange folk, strange clothes, strange speech

And yet what was once known to us

Is not beyond their reach

They’re closing down the Ness again

We watch them working hard

The man in charge, is one of us

A knowing–man named Card

They’ve sealed it off

That is the end

At least for one more year.

We watch, we wait, we hope, we know

Their time to learn, is near.

BB

To find out more, visit  – http://www.nessofbrodgar.co.uk/