Excavation

Date 14 July 2014 - 22 August 2014

Event ID 1013763

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1013763

HY 303 129 Further investigation of the Neolithic complex on the Ness of Brodgar was undertaken, 14 July – 22 August 2014. The main structures were further investigated to clarify their relationships and the individual biographies of each building. Micromorphic sampling of both floors and middens again complemented other sampling strategies.

Excavation of the complex occupation-derived deposits within the later phase of Structure 1 continued. Irregular cuts were exposed which appear to have held upright stones, suggesting that internal furniture was removed prior to the latter phase of use/remodelling (similar to Structure 14). Very thin interleaving occupation-derived lenses were excavated

around the hearth and to the W of the eastern central pier. These were heavily worn and compacted, and sealed a clay floor layer (unexcavated). Excavation in the NE alcove revealed a similar clay floor and cache of stone tools in a niche. A cut for the hearth of the main secondary phase was exposed which truncated earlier occupation horizons, suggesting the hearth had been realigned or recut. A large sub-oval pit was excavated to the NE of the hearth. It contained a single fill, with a stone tool placed at the E end, suggesting rapid infilling.

In Structure 8 work concentrated on the S half of the building to bring it into phase with the exposed N half. The remaining midden infill and collapsed stone roofing slates were removed and floor deposits exposed. Potentially, three new hearths were revealed mirroring the hearth arrangement in the N half. Several polished stone items were recovered from the floor

surface including a macehead, spatulas, and a ‘pillow stone’ from a small cist-like feature adjacent to one of the hearths.

Work within Structure 10 concentrated on the internal floor deposits relating to its secondary major phase and the removal of the last of the fill of the internal wall robbing. This revealed several drains under the walls, and also a very large entrance threshold slab, c1.5 x 0.7m in the E wall that defined the entrance that had been deliberately blocked. Outwith Structure 10 another sondage was excavated through the massive animal bone deposit that surrounds the building and recorded in 3-D. Initial analysis of the results would suggest a similar sequence of structured deposition.

Detailed recording of Structure 11 to the SE of Structure 1 was undertaken, including elevation drawings of walls. Ephemeral occupation-derived deposits were exposed and partly excavated in the N part of the internal area. These were found to surround a small square central hearth defined by upright stones, which remains unexcavated. Externally, wall

faces were fully exposed following the removal of section baulks and were shown to have undergone a series rebuilds and shoring due to collapse.

Excavation in the interior of Structure 12 with the removal of more secondary occupation material revealed more of its complex history. In its primary form this structure had potentially three entrances: one in the NW corner, one in the S end wall and a third adjacent to the central pier in its E wall. This latter entrance was flanked externally by two standing stones. At the end of this phase, due to subsidence and partial collapse (at least three earlier buildings have been identified under Structure 12), much of the internal wall face was dismantled and then rebuilt. Although this rebuild followed the original plan, it was undertaken with less care and attention to detail with pecked dressed stone-faced inwards and piers

rebuilt slightly off alignment. A new entrance was punched through the N wall with an external porch/annexe, while the NW and S entrances were blocked.

Excavations in Structure 14 focused on removing a complex sequence of floor and occupation deposits. Two main phases are apparent. In the earliest phase the building is divided into two halves. The E half contains many orthostats which form room divisions and possible benches around the hearth, while the W half is more open with orthostat divisions only in the

recesses. In the second phase, the majority of the orthostats were removed and floors of orange/yellow glacial clay and grit were relain on several occasions. These floor deposits are particularly thick around the hearths and it apparent that trample was most intense around the E hearth. The position of the orthostats and a small number of pits and postholes can be paralleled in Structure 2 at Barnhouse.

In addition, a small 1 x 1m sondage was excavated to natural clay where the N wall of Structure 14 had been entirely truncated by a late-phase pit. This revealed that archaeological deposits in this area of the site are 1.3m deep and 0.7m of deposits exist below the foundations of Structure 14. The

stratigraphy in the sondage comprise three main units: a series of occupation deposits c0.2m deep that directly overlie natural clay, which yielded round-bottomed pottery vessels and one possibly carinated sherd that probably dates from the Early Neolithic; a N–S wall probably relating to an early building that had been extensively robbed; and, a series of midden

deposits. The latter were truncated by the construction of Structure 14. Ltd excavation was undertaken within Structure 19 to the E of Structure 1. A possible oven in the N part of the structure was fully removed. The hearth and floor levels remain unexcavated.

The N corner of Structure 21 to the W of Structure 1 was fully exposed. The external walls continue into the trench baulk to the W and within the sondage to the S. On the N side, the external and internal wall faces survive, including a pier, and display the same high quality of masonry found in other buildings. To the E, the building has been robbed of stone down to foundation level. Occupation-derived deposits and patches of clay floor were exposed internally, but remain unexcavated.

Structure 25 was revealed following the removal of the sequence of ashy midden layers and section baulks to the S of Structure 1. The lower courses of various stone walls that make-up Structure 25 may not have formed a roofed building, but appear to have focused movement through a passage between parallel walls to a large upright standing stone which aligns directly upon the S entrance of Structure 1. The structure appears not to contain a hearth or occupation-derived deposits. When extant, the walls would have formed a series of passageways adjacent to Structures 1 and 11. Structure 25 was subsequently reduced to foundation level and sealed by a deep series of ashy midden layers and soil horizon that extend

into the Central Midden Area (CMA).

The CMA between Structures 8, 11 and 12 was further investigated utilising 1m square ‘chequer board’ excavation. This confirmed several phases of midden deposition, with the lower ones separated by rubble deposits with ephemeral wall lines representing the remains of temporary structures during the deposition sequence.

Trench T, near the southern tip of the Ness, was extended with the objective of further defining the character and date of the construction of the mound. Due to the complexity of the midden deposits that form the midden mound, these deposits were excavated in a series of 1m squares in a chequerboard pattern.

Within the eastern trench extension the extensive rubble was shown to continue and to be roughly concentric on the centre of the mound. The northern extent of the rubble was found to be bounded by a new wall. To the N of the wall were two E–W linear cuts, dug into a midden deposit that makes up part of the upper slope of the mound. One linear contained a human molar, premolar and toe bone, along with several Iron Age pot sherds. These features cut into and clearly postdate the main phase of accumulation of the midden mound. Moreover, they are of similar character and can all be assigned to the same broad phase of mound remodelling probably in the Iron Age.

The new wall suggested that two parallel foundation cuts were dug, a depth of midden of at least 0.5m between the two foundation cuts was stripped away, and then two revetment walls were constructed. At an unknown point after the construction of these walls a series of rubble dumps were laid between the two walls. The area between these two walls

sloped from N to S exaggerating the existing slope of the mound and creating in effect a revetted ditch running around the upper slope of the mound.

Augering and excavation of the main midden mound revealed that it was at least 3m high. Large unabraded sherds of Grooved Ware within the midden confirmed its Neolithic date. The mound consisted of a series of individual midden heaps with signs of variability in the material in each dump. Towards the top of the mound a sequence of formal deposition seems to have occurred involving the capping with clay of previous midden deposits, the placing of a very large cattle skull and numerous other animal bones, the dumping of a layer of midden material and then the placing of pot sherds on the top of this layer. Prior to the commencement of the deposition of this monumental midden mound the area was stripped of

topsoil and several quarry (?) pits were dug. Into one of these pits a large orthostat/standing stone was inserted.

More examples of Neolithic art and the use of pigments were also discovered.

Report: Orkney SMR and RCAHMS

Funder: Orkney Islands Council, Talisman Sinopec, Ness of Brodgar Trust, American Friends of the Ness of Brodgar, Orkney College UHI, Orkney Archaeology Society and Currie Brothers

Nick Card – ORCA and Archaeology Institute UHI

(Source: DES)