The Ness of Brodgar is the thin strip of land, in the West Mainland of Orkney, that separates the lochs of Harray and Stenness.
The Ness is covered in, and surrounded by, archaeology. Until the beginning of this century, it was best known as the site of the Ring of Brodgar and the nearby Standing Stones of Stenness, both part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site. In 2002 all that changed when a geophysical survey revealed a huge prehistoric complex, indicating many buildings beneath the Ness. The dense concentration of structures astonished the worldwide archaeological community.
Subsequent archaeological excavations on the Ness revealed a large complex of monumental Neolithic buildings along with decorated masonry, pottery, stone tools, evidence of stone tiled roofing and much more.
Work to uncover the seemingly endless secrets of the site continued every summer until 2024, which saw the final season of excavation at the site. After the final day, the dig was protected and recovered, returned to a green field once again. The focus now is on research and analysis of the thousands of finds and deposits discovered over the course of two decades of fascinating work at the Ness.
