Orkney Archaeology Society presents: Dr David Clarke (Skara Brae, Links of Noltland) in conversation with Prof Mark Edmonds

Hosted by Orkney Archaeology Society, our first talk will be a conversation between Dr David Clarke and Prof Mark Edmonds on Wednesday 19^th July, starting at 7.30pm in the King Street Halls, Kirkwall. We stand on the shoulders of giants in Orkney’s rich archaeological heritage, what better way to recognise this as a fitting legacy project for OAS.

David Clarke is well known in the annals of Orcadian prehistoric archaeology for his work at both Skara Brae and Links of Noltland on Westray in the late 1970s. In this conversation, he will recall some of the experiences, from the relatively recent re-discovery in Stromness Museum of the “Buddo” figure and its significance for the excavations in the 1860s at Skara Brae to the daily experiences during his time in Orkney. David has authored several books, and amongst these the 2020 guidebook to Skara Brae is significant in this context. He joined the staff of the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland in 1968 and continued with the National Museums of Scotland until his retirement in 2011, as Keeper of Archaeology. His PhD had been undertaken at the University of Edinburgh (completed 1975) under the supervision of Stuart Piggott, another doyen of Scotland’s archaeology. His role at the Museum included the delivery of major exhibitions including Symbols of Power at the time of Stonehenge (1985), and he was actively involved in the preparation of the Early People gallery for the new building at the NMS. His driving ethos throughout his Museum career has been to foster and develop Public Archaeology and the broader dissemination of information on the unparalleled collections of the National Museum.

Entry to this fantastic event is free and all are welcome. As we expect significant interest we are asking that folk pre-book their seat via the Orkney Archaeology Society website.