Nine archaeological projects supported by OIC
Story dated: Thursday, January 24, 2008

A study to help determine the exact age of the Ring of Brodgar is one of nine archaeological projects to receive Orkney Islands Council funding this year.

Members of the council’s development committee heard that once again the number of applications received exceeded the £40,000 budget available.

However, a panel of experts, made up of the county archaeologist, the curator of archaeology at the Orkney Museum, Orkney College’s lecturer in archaeology and the OIC’s manager of museums and heritage, consider the 12 applications.

The nine selected were said to be worthy excavations “which should result in interpretation and knowledge linkages between sites already excavated.”

These projects are:

• The Brough of Deerness: Dr James Barrett, University of Cambridge. A project to improve the understanding of the brough site, in particular whether it is a Viking/Norse castle, monastery or Iron Age fort.
• The Ring of Brodgar: Dr Jane Downes (Orkney College) and Dr Colin Richards (Univeristy of Manchester). A project aiming to produce key information to assist in determining more exactly how old the stone circle is.
• The Ness of Brodgar: (Nick Card, Orkney College/Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology(ORCA)). Returning to the settlement site on the Ness of Brodgar to continue last year’s excavations.
• Skara Brae: (Nick Card, Orkney College/ORCA). Continuing geophysics project.
• Windwick Bay (Martin Carruthers/Nick Card, Orkney College/ORCA). Continuing investigation of an Iron Age settlement area in South Ronaldsay.
• South Walls structure: (Nick Card, Orkney College/ORCA). Investigating a possible Norse tower identified in geophysics scans.
• Braes of Ha’ Breck, Wyre (Nick Card, Orkney College/ORCA). Continuing excavation at a Neolithic village site.
• Stacklebrae, Eday (Nick Card/Paul Sharman, Orkney College/ORCA). Coastal erosion project. High status Norse/medieval site.
• Stronsay Excavation and Survey. (Nick Card/ORCA). Exploratory excavation at the site where post-glacial flints from around 8000BC were found last year.